Ohio emerges as a hidden haven for wildflower enthusiasts, thanks to its diverse range of landscapes. This state boasts a wide array of native wildflowers that fill its meadows, woodlands, and prairies with vibrant hues. Ohio’s climate is a mixture of the four seasons, which contribute to the state’s ability to produce an abundance of plants. In this article, we will explore some of the wildflowers in Ohio.
20 Wildflowers In Ohio
The below list is only a small sample of the wildflowers in Ohio. The truth is, Ohio is filled with hundreds of different species of flora, each with its own attributes and benefits.
1. White Trillium
Scientific Name: Trillium grandiflorum
This wildflower is white with three-petaled flowers and three green leaves. It is a classic woodland wildflower that attracts pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. White Trillium thrives in shaded woodland areas.
2. Purple Coneflower
Scientific Name: Echinacea purpurea
The purple coneflower is a much loved wildflower thanks to its ability to attract a wide array of good insects, such as bees, butterflies, and beneficial wasps. They have pink to purple daisy-like flowers with a prominent cone center. They are often seen in prairie open fields and roadsides.
3. Wild Columbine
Scientific Name: Aquilegia canadensis
The wild columbine produces red and yellow spurred flowers that resemble a hummingbird in flight. This beneficial plant attracts native bees and hummingbirds and is typically found in shaded areas, along stream banks, and in woodlands.
4. Butterfly Weed
Scientific Name: Asclepias tuberosa
The butterfly weed is named for its ability to attract a slew of butterflies. It produces bright orange clusters of flowers and is a host plant for monarch butterflies. It also attracts bees and various other pollinators. You can typically find this plant in meadows, prairies, and dry areas that are open and sunny.
5. Black-Eyed Susan
Scientific Name: Rudbeckia hirta
The black-eyes Susan is a cheery-looking plant that produces yellow to orange daisy-like flowers with a dark center. These plants are often seen along roadsides, as well as in prairies and open fields.
6. Common Blue Violet
Scientific Name: Viola sororia
The common blue violet is a popular wildflower that grows in Ohio. It produces delicate purplish flowers with heart-shaped leaves. The flowers and the young leaves of this plant are edible. Additionally, the common blue violet attracts butterflies and bees and is found in meadows and moist wooded areas.
7. Wild Bergamot
Scientific Name: Monarda fistulosa
Wild bergamot is another wildflower that grows in Ohio. It has pink to lavender colored, tubular-shaped flowers. These flowers appear in dense clusters, and the plant’s leaves are aromatic.
Pink to lavender tubular flowers in dense clusters; aromatic foliage. Hummingbirds and butterflies can often be found feeding on the wild bergamot nectar. These wildflowers thrive in open woods, prairies, and along stream banks.
8. Cardinal Flower
Scientific Name: Lobelia cardinalis
The cardinal flower is a stunning sight, producing bright red tubular flowers on tall spikes that attract hummingbirds and bees. The cardinal flower’s favorite habitats are stream edges, damp meadows, and other wet areas.
9. Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Scientific Name: Coreopsis lanceolata
The lanceleaf coreopsis has yellow daisy-like flowers and lance-shaped leaves. These bright blooms attract butterflies and bees. This wildflower thrives along roadsides, and in prairies and open areas that are rather dry.
10. Woodland Phlox
Scientific Name: Phlox divaricata
Woodland phlox produces clusters of pale purple to bluish blooms that are very fragrant. Bees and butterflies are attracted to these blooms. Woodland phlox thrives along stream banks and in shaded woodlands.
11. Blazing Star
Scientific Name: Liatris spicata
Blazing star has tall spikes of purple to pinkish-purple flowers that attract butterflies and bees. This wildflower thrives in prairies and moist meadows.
12. Starry Campion
Scientific Name: Silene stellata
This plant is named for the white to pink star-shaped flowers that have deeply notched petals. They also attract nocturnal pollinators, such as moths. The starry campion is found in shaded and wooded areas.
13. New England Aster
Scientific Name: Aster novae-angliae
New England asters are another important wildflower that acts as a food source for bees and butterflies. These asters have purple to lavender flowers with a pale yellow center. New England asters are often seen growing in prairies and moist meadows.
14. Obedient Plant
Scientific Name: Physostegia virginiana
The obedient plant is an unusual looking wildflower that provides tall spikes of tubular flowers that can bend into different positions. The flowers of this plant attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and various different types of bees. You can typically find these wildflowers among stream banks and in meadows.
15. Ohio Spiderwort
Scientific Name: Tradescantia ohiensis
The Ohio spiderwort has grass-like foliage and blue to purple flowers. They attract butterflies and bees and are found along roadsides and in prairies and open woods.
16. Wild Lupine
Scientific Name: Lupinus perennis
The wild lupine is another wildflower that produces tall spikes. On the tip of these spikes are pea-like blooms that are blue to purple in color. This plant is an important host for various butterflies. If you want to find the wild lupine, look in open woods and areas with dry, sandy soil.
17. Great Blue Lobelia
Scientific Name: Lobelia siphilitica
The great blue lobelia produces bright blue flowers that are tubed shaped. These blooms appear on tall spikes and attract bees and hummingbirds. You can typically find this wildflower in meadows, at the edge of streams, and in wetlands.
18. Wild Geranium
Scientific Name: Geranium maculatum
The wild geranium grows in moist wooded areas and produces pink to lavender-colored blooms. Their leaves are deeply divided, which makes it a bit easier to distinguish from some other look-like plants.
19. Mayapple
Scientific Name: Podophyllum peltatum
Mayapples thrive in woodlands with plenty of shade, and their blooms attract various pollinators like bees. Mayapples are usually easy to identify thanks to their large umbrella-like leaves that hide one white flower underneath.
20. Indian Pink
Scientific Name: Spigelia marilandica
This wildflower produces bright red flowers that have a tubular shape and yellow throats. These blooms attract ft hummingbirds and bees. If you want to see Indian pinks in the wild, look in shaded areas and moist woodlands.
The Best Places To Find Wildflowers In Ohio
Ohio is no stranger to wildflowers, and the state is filled with various locations where you can view these colorful plants.
One such location is Hocking Hills State Park, where the woodland trails burst into an array of colors during the spring months, especially from April to May. The trails that you can traverse throughout the park, such as Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls, offer a captivating display of native flora.
Another must-visit destination for wildflower lovers is Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, renowned for its stunning wetlands and rich diversity of flora. The spring and early summer, are the best times to experience the marsh’s wildflowers.
Walking along the boardwalk trails, you can view a cornucopia of color with wildflowers like marsh marigolds, turtlehead, and wild iris. These enchanting locations not only offer a plethora of native wildflowers but also provide a tranquil escape into Ohio’s natural wonderland.
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