Every couple of weeks the wild flower patch changes almost completely. It is really interesting to learn about native Iowa plants & grasses.

Kansas Wildflowers And Grasses

Introduction to Iowa Native Prairie Plants

Iowa Prairie Network

Wildflowers Alphabetized by Botanical Name

Daffodils are first to show up each spring. Tulips were planted but the deer love them too much. They don't touch the daffodils & seem to find somewhere else to eat by mid-spring.

2003 Perennial Plant of the Year.
Full Sun
48" tall
zone 5-9

Why do they still call it purple, when it's definately white?

The white-flowering cultivars of Purple Coneflower are less vigorous & less cold hardy than the purple ones. They are stunning in bloom & make a good long-stemmed cutflower.

Annual

Larkspur are in the Delphinium family. There are many varrieties of Larkspur. They can be 1 - 7' tall. Ours in the wildflower patch are 2-3' tall. They burst into bloom in spring weeks before other flowers bringing life to the wildflower patch.

They self-sow themselves & grow in full sun here. They have done well in our clay soil. I think the clay holds moisture for them.

Annual
Full Sun
Hardy in all zones

Bachelor Buttons always remind me of my Grandma. She told me the plant got its name because bachelors wore it in the hole in the lapel of their suit jackets. And all the girls would know they were not all ready taken.

The nickname "cornflower" comes from the fact that the plant grows wild in the grain fields of southern Europe. When Napoleon forced Queen Louise of Prussia from Berlin, she hid her children in a cornfield & kept them entertained & quiet by weaving wreaths of cornflowers. One of her children, Wilheim, later became the emperor of Germany. Remembering his mother's bravery, he made the cornflower a national emblem of unity.

Their are different varieties of Bachelor Buttons that grow from 1-3' tall. They make a good cut flower & are very easy to dry to use in everlasting arrangements. They seed themselves everywhere & grow even in the poorest soil. They are a mainstay in Ron's wildflower patch.

Perennial
Ht 15-36"
Full Sun
Hardy Zones 4-8
Blooms all summer.

Self seeds itself every where. May also be divided in early spring & cuttings of new growth in late summer, root cuttings in fall. Will bloom longer & better if the spent blooms are picked off. Like who has time to do that? Not me! My readings say this plant won't over-winter in clay soil. I think our wild flower patch is total clay soil. It likes loamy, sandy soils the best. I know it does not like rich compost soil very well.

Gaillardia comes up all over the place here. It especially likes the gravel driveway by the top pond to grow. We let it grow where ever it decides to & enjoy it until it starts to look icky as it gets mildew on the stems in our Iowa weather. Ron usually ends up pulling them out. We know their seeds will show up next spring.

State Flower of Maryland

Considered an annual or short-lived perennial native to the eastern United States, but has spread throughout the country. Probably the most common of all American wildflowers. The characteristic dark brown domed center is ringed with bright yellow flower petals. Thrives in full sun with absolute neglect. These wildflowers are growing in gravel in our driveway. They planted themselves all around my compost bin. They are so amazing. I did have to water them twice during a 3 week drought & heat index over 100 degrees.