White Meadowsweet Spiraea alba Family: Rosaceae Range: In the eastern US from Georgia up and out to the Dakotas, and in southern Canada from the eastern provinces out to Alberta. Native: Native Native Habitat: Marshes and other wetland edges, meadow and disturbed habitats. Will range into sub alpine and alpine zones. Bloom Time: June-September Notes: […]
Common MilkweedAsclepias syriacaOther names: Butterfly flower, silkweed, silky swallowwort, Virginia silkweedFamily: Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)Range: Southern Canada and the US east of the RockiesNative: NativeNative Habitat: Fields, open areas, waste areasBloom Time: June to August Notes:The plant will form large, clonal colonies when it finds a habitat it likes. It’s the best of all the milkweeds
Orange King Devil Pilosella aurantiaca Other names: orange hawkweed, fox-and-cubs, tawny hawkweed, devil’s paintbrush, grim-the-collier Family: Asteraceae Further Classification (Asteraceae only) Range: Southern Canada and New England south to the mid-Atlantic states and west through the Great Lakes region to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Native: Introduced (Invasive) Native Habitat: Native to alpine regions of
Indian Cucumber Root Medeola virginiana Other names: Indian Cucumber, Cucumber Root Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family) Range: Eastern North America Native: Native Native Habitat: Woodland understories Bloom Time: May to June Notes: The common name for this plant comes from the cucumber flavored root, which was foraged by Native Americans. (It’s no longer recommended for foraging
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Early Whitlow Grass Draba verna Other names: Spring draba, Spring Whitlow Grass, Spring Whitlow Mustard, Common Whitlow Grass Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Range: Widely dispersed around the world Native: Introduced Native Habitat: Meadows and disturbed habitats Bloom Time: Early Spring Notes: This tiny flower is one of the first flowers to bloom in my local
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Common Self Heal Prunella vulgaris Other names: heal all, woundwort, heart of the earth, carpenter’s herb, brownwort, blue curls Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family) Range: Europe, Asia and North America Native: Native Native Habitat: Woodland edges, disturbed habitat, lawns Bloom Time: May to September Notes: The plant is edible, and can be used in salads, or
Purple Flower Raspberry Rubus odoratus Other names: Thimbleberry, Flowering Raspberry, Virginia Raspberry Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family) Range: Eastern US and Canada Native: Native Native Habitat: Wooded areas Bloom Time: June through August Notes: The fruit is edible, but is drier and more crumbly than other raspberries and blackberries, so this plant is generally grown in
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Beach Rose Rosa rugosa Other names: rugosa rose, Japanese rose, Ramanas rose, beach tomato or sea tomato; saltspray rose, potato rose, Turkestan rose Family: Rosaceae Range: Native to northeastern China, Japan, Korea and southeastern Siberia. Native: Introduced Native Habitat: The coast, especially sand dunes. Bloom Time: May to July Notes: ‘Rugosa’ means wrinkled. The plant
Starflower Lysimachia borealis Other names: Northern Starflower Family: Myrsinaceae (Marlberry family) Range: Eastern North America Native: Native Native Habitat: Woods, slopes, peaty soil Bloom Time: May to June Notes: This is my favorite late spring forest flower – I love happening upon this in the woods, and will look for it whenever I’m in the
Red Clover Trifolium pratense Other names: Cowgrass Family: Fabaceae Range: Throughout North America Native: Introduced Native Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, waste areas. Bloom Time: Summer Notes: Native to Europe, Western Asia and Northwest Africa. It’s widely used as a fodder crop, and since it fixes nitrogen, as a green manure. (This is why it
