11 Wildflowers That Grow In West Virginia (With Pictures)
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Ed Malaker
- Last updated:
West Virginia has a great climate for growing wildflowers, and there are many varieties that you can spot on the side of the road as you drive along the highway. If you intend to visit the area soon or would like to know more about the flowers in your home state, keep reading as we list 11 of the most common and attractive varieties that you are likely to see.
The 11 Wildflowers in West Virginia
1. Blackeyed Susan
| Family: | Aster |
The Blackeyed Susan is an easy-to-identify wildflower in West Virginia because it commonly grows along the road. It has yellow Daisy-like petals with a dark center and can grow to about 3 feet tall.
2. New England Aster
| Family: | Aster |
New England Aster is a relative of the Blackeyed Susan, and you can see the resemblance when looking at them. But the New England Aster has thin purple petals with a dark brown center. It’s a popular plant that you can find all over the country, including in West Virginia, and can grow as tall as 6 feet but usually stays around 4 feet.
3. Crimson Beebalm
| Family: | Mint |
The Crimson Beebalm is a bright red wildflower with odd-shaped petals and is a favorite of hummingbirds and bees. You can find it anywhere east of the Mississippi river, including West Virginia, and it typically grows about 5 feet tall. Look for groups of these flowers, as they rarely grow alone.
4. Blazing Star
| Family: | Aster |
The Blazing Star is an attractive member of the Aster family that you can find throughout West Virginia. It flowers from July through September, and you usually find these plants growing in groups in direct sunlight. A blossom will have several purple disk florets at the end of a long stem that generally reaches 3–4 feet tall.
5. Bloodroot
| Family: | Poppy |
The Bloodroot Wildflower is a member of the Poppy family, and you can only find it in America. It has Daisy-like petals with golden-yellow stamens in the center. The large flower can reach more than 8 inches across and can have eight to 15 petals. Look for these flowers in early spring.
6. Buttercup
| Family: | Buttercup |
The small Buttercup is one of the most popular wildflowers in the United States, and you can find it growing in West Virginia. It’s a creeping plant that grows easily in grasslands and gardens and likes to be near a water source. It usually has five shiny or reflective petals that help attract bees and other pollinators.
7. Buttonbush
| Family: | Maddler |
The Buttonbush is a wetland shrub that can grow up to 10 feet tall. You can find it near streams, lakes, ponds, and other water sources. The bloom that it produces is a dense sphere containing many small white tubular flowers that make this plant easy to identify, even from a distance.
8. Crimson Clover
| Family: | Pea |
The Crimson Clover is an invasive wildflower found in West Virginia and many other parts of the United States. It came to America as cattle food before spreading to 43 states. It helps improve the nitrogen content in the soil, so it can be helpful in the garden, and it produces deep red blossoms in the spring that will help add color to your property.
9. Wild Columbine
| Family: | Buttercup |
The Wild Columbine is an interesting plant that produces blossoms that hang down toward the ground. The flowers are deep red with yellow highlights that grow well in almost any environment, so they are easy to spot in the wild and even easier to grow in the garden, where you can take in their beauty at your leisure.
10. Mouse Ears
| Family: | Spiderwort |
The Mouse Ears wildflower is an attractive flower with two blue petals that resemble the ears of a certain cartoon mouse. It grow easily in a wide range of habitats, so you will often see them as you move through the state, and they are also easy to grow in the garden.
11. Dandelion
| Family: | Aster |
The Dandelion is one of the most common wildflowers in West Virginia and many other states. It grows easily in backyards or anywhere there is a large amount of sunlight, and hundreds can appear almost overnight. The flower is bright yellow and easy to spot; even the seeds are fun to look at and blow off the stem as you make a wish. While many consider Dandelions to be weeds, they have many uses in medicine and the culinary arts.
Summary
There are quite a few wildflowers in West Virginia. The Dandelion is likely the most common and easiest to find in early spring, but many other wildflowers, like the Blackeyed Susan, New England Aster, Buttercup, and Wild Columbine, are easy to spot in fields or along the roadway. Other varieties, like the Crimson Bee Palm and the Blazing Star, might not be as easy to find, but if you keep your eyes open, you will see them eventually.
Featured Image Credit: Petra, Pixabay
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