Favorite Wildflowers

This is one of my all-time favorite wildflowers: Penstemon ambiguus. I mainly hike in a place called Yapple Canyon, close to my home. There is a side canyon that is not noticed by many because the opening is covered with desert shrubs and it isn't accessable to off road vehicles. I only see critter and my own footprints. Anyway when you turn into this offshoot the first thing you see is mounds and mounds of this flowering plant. It is so beautiful when it is in bloom, which is most of the summer if there is not a drought going on. To me the flowers look like they are reflected in a carnival mirror!

Please feel free to post your favorite wildflowers in this thread. I hope you do!!

Hello Angele, I just can not pass up the opportunity to show the Texas state wildflower,
Texas Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis, and what a gorgeous flower it is. It can cover whole fields.
This picture is form a highway right of way close to Dallas and was planted by transportation dept, but it also grows wild with no interference from humans.
Here is a link
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LUTE

Gosh that is beautiful!!! I'm going to visit that link but want to ask you: when does it bloom & for how long?

I love native lantana....

Me too Mitch. Great butterfly plant. Where did you see these growing? I have some yellow ones in my garden.

Bluebonnets bloom in April or thereabouts and last about six weeks. There are 10 different Lupines in Texas but this one is the showiest and most widely seen.
Josephine.

That must be a sight to behold Josephine, wow!

Here is another of my favorites: Dayflower. They grow mixed in with other plants and I love to see it draped over a prickly pear cactus. The colors, textures & form are beautiful together. I'll look for a picture of them together.

Neat! we have those in Texas too. They are adorable early in the morning with the dew on them.
The bloom doesn't last long, but they are precious.
There are quite a few of those, also nine of them that are native to Texas. Here is one.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=COER


This message was edited Feb 17, 2008 10:50 PM

Those are in my garden - witha lot of wildflowers, native and non.

We have a species of dayflower that is a weed in Minnesota. It acts non-native in the way it takes over.

Yes, they can be too prolific here too, but in the right place they are very nice.

Those are great pictures of some beautiful wildflowers. Thanks for initiating this thread.

OK, I don't have many good pictures of perennials or annuals. I do have one of my favorite native bulbous wildflowers.

Camassia scilloides - Wild Hyacinth in a central KY pasture.

Wow! that is gorgeous, I love it with the trees and the sky, so pretty.
it happens to be native to Texas as well.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CASC5
Josephine.

never even seen that one and I try to get out and see all I can, thank you for sharing

Thanks for sharing a little bit of Kentucky paradise ViburnumValley! Incredibly pretty!

Thanks for all your kind words. These are fine plants in favored habitat. I hope to get more shots of these devils come spring.

Maybe even get the farm owner to share a clump to take back and plant at the Valley...

:-) You ask that is so nice... I have been known to ask.. and then again there are other days :-)

Wonderful photos everyone!
How exciting to see wildflowers from around the States...
I just recently got out this past week to take some photos. I just knew my favorites for this time of year were going to be popping up. Sure enough they are emerging in the woodland area of a near by city park.
Oregon Fawn Lily
http://depts.washington.edu/propplnt/Plants/Erythronium.htm

This message was edited Feb 23, 2008 7:00 PM

Oh how pretty, please don't forget to show us the blooms.
Josephine.

Hopefully in another week or so I can follow up with some of them in bloom.
Here is one getting really close to blooming.

Thanks Josephine
I surely will do so...
I hope to see more wildflowers soon! Our weather is getting more and more like spring. Yippeeee

Hi,
Gee I didn't know there was a wildflower forum.
Can I play?
All we have is snow and bitter cold here, but I have some wildflower pictures from my walks in the woods in the spring.
First is one of my favorites
Purple polygala
also called fringed Polygala or Gaywings
(Polygala paucitfolia)
Milkwort Family

This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 11:52 AM

There are many of these seen on my walk too.
Trillium.
Large-Flowered Trillium
(trillium grandiforum)
Lily family

This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 11:56 AM

These are cool. They have a waxy leaf like wintergreen, but get this cluster of flowers on top.
Pipsewea (is that spelled right?)
Relative of the Spotted Wintergreen.
Pipsissewa (c. umbellata)

This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 12:02 PM

I also found out about this forum just a few weeks back. I've been missing out!!
cpartschick, what a beautiful dainty flower, quite unique shape too. I love seeing the trilliums in the wild. We should be seeing them in our area next month sometime.
Thanks for sharing ...
Here are some sweet violets in the same area as the lily

Last one for now.
Blue flag by the water's edge.
Blue Flag
(Iris versicolor)
Iris family

This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 12:08 PM

Thanks, GGK. Always love your pictures.
I have many more pictures, I can add later if there is interest.

Oh my Goddness, those flowers are gorgeous!!! Keep them coming please.
That Pipsewea, is amazing, can you give us a little more information, please?
Josephine.

I don't have much information. It is, I think, related to wintergreen, blooms in the summer.
The leaves are low to the ground and the stem with the group of waxy flowers. I do have a picture of the whole plant, but it is on a disc somewhere.
This closeup picture, I thought was cool. So unusual. Isn't nature great?

hehe, I overslept this morning and look what I woke to! Now to get a cup of coffee and look at each one in the large size. Good morning & so glad you found us GardenGuyKin & Cpartschick. Morning Frostweed & Mitch :-)

Cpartschick, I loved your one flower so much I just had to find out more :-) it is Pipsissewa. Very cool & very pretty!

Thanks, It is very cool I think. In our 110 acres of woods and swamp, it only grows near the outhouse way back in the woods. mmmm...something to ponder.

Here are a couple more pictures before I head into town. Now remember these are just my favorites. LOL
I am kind of crazy about wildflowers.

Pink lady slipper. We have about 150 or so of these blooming every spring. I stop and admire every one.
Pink lady's slipper;pink mocassin-flower
(Cypripedium acaule)
Orchid family

This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 12:12 PM

How about a close up of a Touch me knot or
Spotted jewelweed
(Impatiens capensis)


This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 12:16 PM

Not normally the prettiest, but this picture makes it look good.
A bunchberry flower.
Bunchberry
(cornus canadensis)
Dogwood family
This turns into a bunch of little red berries later in the summer, but I rarely see them. I hear they are good eating, but never tried them. Seems some wildlife must like them too, as they dissapear quickly.

This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 12:24 PM

Columbine is a flower that is so complicated it is hard to take a picture to show its true beauty.
Here is a try.

This one is one of my favorites because it looks like a little kid drew it. Such a simple flower.
Again, I have yet to take a picture that captures its true beauty.
Forget me not

Gee, if I post all my favorites, I am going to have to lurk here until spring. (spring here is really late)

Just wanted to add a link to a few wildflowers I posted last year. The full picture of the Pipsissewa is on this thread. (angele thanks for the spelling)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/692900/

You have put such a huge smile on my face cpartschick! I'm loving this because I recognize a kindred spirit and I am a goofball when it comes to wildflowers too. My family roots on my fathers side come from not too far from where you are in Michigan. What a treat!!!

Glad you are enjoying the pictures.
As you can see I have too many "favorites"

I love them too, keep them coming and let us bring this forum back to life.