Ohio Wildflowers

(Symplocarpus foetidus)

With a name like skunk cabbage, you know the plant has to be special. Perhaps best known for its pungent odor and large leaves that decorate wet woodland and wetland habitats, skunk cabbage is a flowering perennial that is one of the earliest plants to emerge in the spring. With the ability to produce its own heat, skunk cabbage can emerge even when the ground is still frozen and snow and ice surround the bloom. The skunk cabbage flower is as unusual as its odor, with a mottled maroon hoodlike spathe that surrounds the knob-like flower structure (called a “spadix”) where the small yellow petal-less flowers grow. You can find skunk cabbage at many of our preserves including Big Darby Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve.

Bloom time: February through April

(Cypripedium parviflorum)

So named for the slipper-like appearance of its bright yellow blooms, yellow lady’s slipper is a perennial orchid that grows in a variety of habitats from moist shady woodlands to open meadows and along streams. Its inflated yellow petal (the slipper) is flanked by two twisted petals and an upright sepal ranging from greenish-yellow to purplish-brown. At maturity, plants bear only a flower or two and three to six leaves on its stem.

Bloom time: May through early June

(Sanguinaria canadensis)

Though common, bloodroot is a welcome sign of spring in Ohio as one of the earliest spring blooms. Bloodroot is a common woodland perennial with showy, white flowers with numerous petals. Its blooms are highly ephemeral, often lasting just a few days. Each stem is cloaked with a single deeply veined and lobed leaf that unfurls as the flowers bloom.

While flowers do not produce nectar, bloodroot attracts insects—like mining bees—with nutritious pollen. 

You can spot bloodroot in many of TNC's open preserves in Ohio.

Bloom time: mid-March—late April

(Arisaema triphyllum)

Jack-in-the-pulpit is a shade-loving wildflower that thrives in moist, deciduous woodlands and floodplains. Its unusual, hooded flower is green with deep brownish purple stripes and cylindrical in shape. Leaves are divided into three leaflets and grow on separate stalks from the flower. Spring blooms are followed by a cluster of bright red berries that appear in late summer.

Bloom time: April—June

(Podophyllum peltatum)

Mayapples are best known for their large, drooping, umbrella-like leaves, but peek underneath, and you might be surprised to discover a beautiful white flower.

Mayapples thrive in various environments, from open deciduous forests to the cool, shaded riverbanks. Their palmately compound leaves can reach an impressive 12” in diameter. Interestingly, some stems bear a single leaf, while others bear two. The flowers only appear on stems with two leaves growing in the axil.

You can find mayapple in the woodlands of many of our open preserves.

Bloom time: April—June

Endangered in Ohio, painted trillium is a treat for wildflower enthusiasts. The flower is a long-lived woodland perennial that makes its home in shaded acidic soils of deciduous forests. Large three-petaled white flowers bloom on top of a whorl of three large leaves.

Painted trillium can be easily distinguished from other trillium species by the splash of deep pink at its center. Today, TNC’s Morgan Swamp Preserve in Ashtabula County boasts the largest population of this rare wildflower in the state.

Bloom time: April—May

(Erigenia bulbosa)

As one of the earliest spring wildflowers, pepper and salt is also known as a harbinger of spring. Easy to overlook due to its small size, pepper and salt boasts beautiful white flowers with deep pink to red anthers that grow in an umbel on a single purplish stem.

You can find this beauty at our Edge of Appalachia Preserve, but look closely, or you might miss it!

Bloom time: February—early April

(Aquilegia canadensis)

Wild columbine is a showy woodland perennial with blooms reminiscent of a sunset. Downward-facing flowers bloom on stalks that grow 1-3 feet tall. Fern-like lobed leaves grow from the base of the stem and are grouped in threes.

Wild columbine attracts a variety of pollinators, including bumblebees and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Thriving in woodlands and rocky slopes, you can find wild columbine at some of our preserves, including the Cedar Falls Preserve in Adams County.

Bloom time: May—June

(Geranium maculatum)

Wild geranium is a perennial wildflower that thrives in moist, shady woodlands. It blooms from spring to early summer. The leaves are palmately lobed, and the five-petaled flowers range in color from rose-pink to lavender, with some boasting dark purple or white blooms.

Wild geranium attracts a variety of early pollinators including ground-nesting bees, bumblebees and hoverflies.

Bloom time: April—June

(Nelumbo lutea)

This native lotus is the largest wildflower in Ohio. The fragrant flowers can grow up to 10” across and the perfectly round leaves can reach up to 3’ in diameter. They provide important habitat for young fish to hide from predators (and provide predators a place to search). 

The cone-shaped seed heads provide food for ducks and other waterfowl and migratory birds. Plants are rooted into the ground and spread by rhizomes rather than floating on the water like some other aquatic plants.

Beavers and muskrats use the rhizomes as a food source. You’ll find these in shallow inlets of ponds and lakes across Ohio. One place to see them is our Great Egret Marsh Preserve where we are preserving and restoring wetland habitats. View these amazing plants from the overlook along the trail or better yet, grab your kayak and put in at the preserve to float among the flowers.  

Bloom time: July—September

(Eupatorium maculatum)

Averaging six to seven feet tall, Joe Pye weed is a standout in its wetland habitats. In late summer, Joe Pye weed produces flat rose-purple flower heads with up to 22 individual florets. These blooms are irresistible to native butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

Once the flowers fade,  its seedheads will persist into winter, helping to feed birds and other wildlife. Look for Joe Pye weed in sunny wetland areas like the Big Darby Headwaters Preserve.

Bloom time: July—September

(Iris versicolor)

Blue flag irises are clump-forming, spreading by underground rhizomes. As such, you can often find these flowers growing in large groups. They tolerate various soil types, but you’ll only see them in the wetter areas of our preserves. The strap-like leaves give it a grass-like appearance. They attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators and can be found at any of our open preserves.

Bloom time: May—July

(Calopogon tuberosus)

The grass pink orchid is a small, native orchid found mainly in sunny areas of wet prairies. Short stalks grow from the grass-like basal foliage to hold the bright pink flowers. Stalks vary in height and in the number of flowers they hold. There can be as many as 24 flowers on a single stalk!

These orchids attract pollinators like bees and other small insects. Due to habitat loss and the collection of wild specimens, the grass pink orchid is listed as threatened in Ohio. You can find it at our Kitty Todd Preserve and Brown's Lake Bog Preserve. 

Bloom time: June—July

(Melanthium virginicum)

Bunchflowers boast large groupings of white and off-white flowers that grow atop tall stems. When in flower, plants grow up to 5’ tall. Pollinators, namely native flies and bees, utilize the nectar.

You’ll find these in wooded wetland areas and fens. It is state-listed as threatened, likely due to loss of viable habitat. Only a few spots around Ohio exist where bunchflower still grows, including the J. Arthur Herrick Fen Preserve, owned and managed jointly by The Nature Conservancy and Kent State University.

Bloom time: June—July

(Sarracenia purpurea)

Also known as purple pitcher plant, this is one of Ohio's few carnivorous plants. Threatened in Ohio, it grows only in a few sites around the state, almost all of which are bog habitats.

It can grow in large colonies but takes a while to establish. The plant itself is interesting with its tube-shaped foliage, but the flower is no less incredible. Flowers unexpectedly rise up out of the foliage like a balloon nodding on a string. You can find these incredible plants at our Brown's Lake Bog Preserve.

Bloom time: May—August

Sometimes called orange-fringed orchid, this species is state-listed as threatened in Ohio. It is native to the eastern and south-central United States and can be found in various habitats, but most often in meadows and open woods.

The blooms are showy, forming large clusters of fringed flowers that grow atop stalks that reach three feet tall. Butterflies and moths are attracted to this species for its nectar. 

TNC staff and volunteers, along with volunteers from the University of Toledo, University of Michigan and Great Lakes Orchids, took on the task of planting hundreds of these orchids at our Kitty Todd Preserve. The project aims to study this species in the hopes of applying the information to other similar species with threatened populations.

These orchids can be found in a few other spots around Ohio, including Shawnee State Forest.

Bloom time: July—September

(Saururus cernuus)

You’ll find these quirky plants in abundance along parts of the Grand River in northeast Ohio. A native species that can be found from New England all the way into the southern U.S., it likes moist soils and shallow waters.

When in bloom, the slender stalks are covered with clusters of tiny white flowers that make the stalk droop over and nod, giving the plant its namesake.

These plants attract birds, waterfowl, pollinators and other beneficial insects. Some wildlife also find spreading groundcover helpful in providing cover.

Put in your kayak or canoe at our Morgan Swamp Preserve and travel along the Grand River to see these showy flowers.

Bloom time: June—August

(Opuntia humifusa)

Prickly pear is Ohio’s only native cactus. It is state-listed as potentially threatened because of irresponsible collection from preserves.

Each individual flower of the prickly pear is short-lived, blooming only for a day. However, these plants form in colonies, ensuring that multiple flowers bloom simultaneously and in succession. This unique characteristic attracts pollinators like bees and other insects, underscoring the prickly pear's ecological significance.

Eastern prickly pear likes sandy soils and can be found in the globally unique habitats of the Oak Openings region and our Kitty Todd Preserve in northwest Ohio.

Bloom time: June—July

(Monarda fistulosa)

A member of the mint family, wild bergamot (aka bee balm) is a common sight in the meadows, prairies and open woodland areas in Ohio.

Named for its scent reminiscent of the bergamot orange, wild bergamot is a favorite of ruby-throated hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, and many pollinators. After the flowers finish blooming and go to seed, many seed-eating birds like American goldfinches.

Wild bergamot has a square stem and toothed, lance-shaped leaves that are two to three inches long. At the top of each stem sits a cluster of light purple tubular flowers that fall in a firework pattern.

Indigenous people have used wild bergamot throughout history for medicinal purposes to treat various ailments. Wild bergamot is a natural source of thymol, which is an antiseptic. Thymol is an active ingredient in many mouthwashes available today. 

This amazing summer bloom can be found in many of TNC's open preserves throughout Ohio. Its widespread distribution is a testament to its adaptability and importance in our local ecosystems.

Bloom time: June—September

(Silphium terebinthinaceum var. luciae-brauniae)

Also known as Lucy Braun's rosinweed, this plant is named after famed botanist E. Lucy Braun who was a pioneer in land conservation in Ohio.

This species is similar but generally smaller than the straight species. When in flower, it can grow up to 8’ tall. Individual flowers are yellow and grow about 2” across.

These plants can be found in the prairie remnants of southern Ohio. Forming large taproots, Lucy Braun prairie dock is fairly drought-resistant and can recover quickly after disturbances to the soil, such as fires.

Leaves grow vertically and are oriented north-south which is believed to help the plant conserve water on hot summer days. Native bees use the plants for nesting and birds and other wildlife utilize the seeds. You can find this prairie dock species at our E. Lucy Braun Lynx Prairie Preserve.

Bloom time: July—September

(Echinacea purpurea)

Purple coneflowers are one of Ohio’s most popular and recognizable native plants. They are an important food source for butterflies and other pollinators that feed on the plant's nectar. Birds and other creatures also use these plants by eating the seeds after the flowers are spent.

Native coneflowers are great plants for your garden and can readily be found in garden centers. Don't deadhead the flowers in the fall if you have these in your garden. Keep them up as long as you can to serve as a food source for wildlife. You can see purple coneflowers at our Edge of Appalachia Preserve.

Bloom time: June—August

(Allium cernuum)

Nodding onion can be found all over the United States and is considered common in most states where it occurs. Delicate-looking flower umbels droop downward, giving the plant its nodding appearance.

When blooming en masse, it is a beautiful sight. Individual flowers are pale, rosy pink, and bell-shaped.

It is an important pollinator plant that attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These can be found intermittently in the prairie areas of many of our open preserves.

Bloom time: July—August

(Ratibida pinnata)

Gray-headed coneflowers are prairie plants with deep roots that thrive in dry conditions. When in flower, these tall, slender plants grow up to six feet tall.

Bright yellow blooms with dark brown cones are important for pollinators like birds, bees and butterflies. When the flowers are done blooming, the dried cones hold seeds that are a great food source for birds late into the fall and winter.

You might find these in the prairie remnants along one of our most popular trails, Buzzardroost Rock Trail at the Edge of Appalachia.

Bloom time: July—September

(Conoclinium coelestinum)

Beginning in mid-summer, the soft masses of fuzzy blue mistflowers begin popping up around moist open woods, riverbanks, creeks, lakes and wetlands. In full bloom, the plants look like a misty drift of light bluish-purple clouds.

With its distinctive triangular, opposite leaves and a height ranging from one to three feet, the blue mistflower is a favorite among bees and butterflies, particularly skippers. These pollinators rely on the late-season nectar of the blue mistflower, making it a vital part of our ecosystem. You can spot these enchanting flowers at the Edge of Appalachia.

Bloom time: July—October

(Gentiana andrewsii)

This native wildflower isn't a tall plant, growing only one to two feet in height. At the top of its stem, it has clusters of deep blue, bottle-shaped flowers. Unlike many other wildflowers, bottle gentian blooms never open, so the flower looks like a bud throughout its blooming time.

Due to this, the plant relies almost solely on bumblebees (or other large bees) for pollination, as they are the only insects with the size and strength to open the blossoms to get to the nectar and pollen of the flower. You can find bottle gentian blooming at Kitty Todd Preserve.

Bloom time: August—October

(Helenium autumnale)

This fall-blooming wildflower's bright yellow, daisy-like blossoms are hard to miss, as they occur in clusters of several flowers at the top of each stem. The tips of the yellow flower rays are doubly notched at the ends, giving them an unusual, semi-ragged appearance.

Despite its name, sneezeweed isn’t known for causing allergies—its pollen relies on insects like bees to be moved from plant to plant. Instead, sneezeweed gets its common name from the practice of drying and crushing the plant's leaves to make a snuff that would cause sneezing, supposedly to cast out evil spirits.

You can find common sneezeweed growing in moist, open areas along streams, ponds, and wet meadows, like those at Edge of Appalachia. 

Bloom time: August—October

(Gentianopsis crinita)

This wildflower is a biennial plant, taking two years to complete its lifecycle. During its first year, fringed gentian grows a low round of leaves close to the ground but does not produce any flowers. In its second year, stalks emerge, branching out.

Beginning in early fall, single flowers open at the end of each stem. These bright, cobalt-blue flowers have four spreading petals that are fringed at the end and partially down the sides. These delicate blooms only open on sunny days and keep closed at night and during cloudy weather.

The fringed gentian is a rare wildflower that is highly impacted by habitat loss. It prefers growing in wet meadows and along areas with moist soils and can be spotted at Kitty Todd Preserve. 

Bloom time: August—November

(Eupatorium serotinum)

Growing three to six feet tall, late boneset blooms in late summer throughout fall with small white flowers clustered along the top of tall green stems.

These small blossoms are popular with bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators. The leaves, however, are bitter and not often eaten by deer or other mammals.

While not fussy about soil conditions, late boneset’s size and blooms are significantly affected by moisture levels. This plant is typically found near sources of water where the soil is moist.

While there are other boneset species in Ohio, late boneset has the latest blooming time, making it a crucial food source for pollinators and birds as winter approaches. It’s also the only boneset species that relies on insects for pollination; other species use wind to pollinate.

This stunning white fall bloomer can be found at the Big Darby Headwaters Preserve.

Bloom time: September—November

(Chelone glabra)

Named for its hooded, two-lipped flowers, the white turtlehead is a late summer through fall blooming wildflower that grows near moist woods and swampy areas.

As its common name suggests, the flowers are white but have a pink tinge. Each bloom is about one inch long and grows in clusters at the top of stout, upright stems.

White turtlehead is primarily pollinated by bumblebees big enough to pry open the flowers to get the nectar inside. Ruby-throated hummingbirds will also feed from these flowers. You can find white turtlehead blooming around the Kitty Todd Preserve. 

Bloom time: July—September

(Impatiens capensis)

A common sight along wooded trails near creeks or ponds, orange jewelweed can be found in bloom from summer through early fall. Its bright orange flowers with red spots are shaped like a cornucopia on individual slender stalks.

Rain and dew tend to bead up on the leaves of this plant, forming sparkling droplets, which is why it’s called “jewelweed.”  As the fall progresses, jewelweed flowers become slender seedpods that, when ripe, will explosively open at a touch, scattering seeds in all directions; this is how the plant gets its other common name of “touch-me-not.”

Indigenous tribes used the sap from jewelweed to relieve the itching caused by poison ivy, insect bites, and other skin irritants. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, long-tongued bee species, butterflies and other pollinators can often be seen sipping nectar from jewelweed blooms.

You can spot jewelweed growing at many of TNC's preserves in Ohio.

Bloom time: Mid-summer—first frost

(Ageratina altissima)

Blooming through the first hard frost, white snakeroot is a common sight in woodlands and along creek sides. It features clusters of small, fuzzy, bright white flowers on top of deep green leaves with coarsely jagged (toothed) edges. White snakeroot’s flowers transform into fluffy tufts, much like dandelions, which are then carried by the wind to grow elsewhere.

Snakeroot gets its name from reports of Indigenous people using its roots to make a medicine to treat snakebites. However, the plant itself is mildly toxic and can cause illness in animals who eat the leaves. In fact, people who drank milk from cows who ate snakeroot often developed a disease called “milk sickness.”

You can see white snakeroot Edge of Appalachia.

Bloom time: July—October

(Verbesina alternifolia)

Wingstem gets its name from its unusual stem, which has wing-like vertical ridges. These ridges are actually leaf-tissue that grows down the stem.

Wingstem’s flowers have distinctive, droopy yellow petals surrounding a dome of spiky yellow florets. This plant can grow eight to ten feet tall, and its leaves can vary in size and shape as they go up the stem. Lower leaves tend to be larger and have toothed edges, while leaves near the top will be smaller and have smooth edges. The leaves have a rough texture, similar to sandpaper.

Wingstem is especially important to bees and wasps and supports a large diversity of pollinators. Its seeds are also an important food source for many species of birds. Wingstem thrives in sunny places in moist, open woodlands. You can find wingstem in the woodlands of many of our open preserves.

Bloom time: August—October

(Rudbeckia fulgida)

Beginning its bloom in late summer, orange coneflower continues flowering through fall with bold yellow-orange rays around a dark purple-brown disk. This plant grows around three feet tall and flowers prolifically.

Orange coneflower is a good nectar source, feeding butterflies and other pollinators. Birds feed on the seeds after the blooms die back, making orange coneflower an important food source through late fall and early winter.

You can see orange coneflower in the sunny prairies and meadows at Edge of Appalachia. 

Bloom time: August—September

(Vernonia gigantea)

You can easily spot tall ironweed in a prairie or meadow in late summer or early fall, as its height and bright magenta blooms often break up the sea of yellow goldenrods and brown-eyed Susans.

This distinctive fall wildflower lives up to its name, growing up to 10 feet tall in moist areas, though it typically averages about five to eight feet tall. Its tough green stems grow stiff and upright and are crowned with clusters of 10-30 small, vivid, purplish-pink blossoms.

Diverse insects are attracted to tall ironweed, which is the host plant for the American Painted Lady butterfly. Some native bee species, like the long-horned bee (Melissodes denticulatus), are specially adapted to only feed on ironweed, and their lifecycles are timed with the plant's blooming.

Tall ironweed can be found at Edge of Appalachia and the Kitty Todd Preserve.

Bloom time: July—October

(Coreopsis tripteris)

Also known as tall tickseed, due to its seeds, which look like ticks, tall coreopsis is often spotted growing among perennial native grasses like big bluestem or switchgrass.  

It grows up to eight feet tall and blooms with daisy-like flowers with eight yellow petals surrounding a flat brown center disk. Despite its slender and delicate appearance, tall coreopsis is a robust plant that thrives in poor soils. 

In addition to its distinct height and showy flowers, tall coreopsis supports many pollinators, including bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles and more. It also provides an important food source for many birds who eat insects on the plant and the seeds later in the season. 

You can find tall coreopsis at  Kitty Todd Nature Preserve.

Bloom time: July—October

(Cirsium discolor)

Often overlooked as wildflowers or even considered a nuisance plant, native field thistles are tremendously beneficial for wildlife and pollinators. 

Field thistle is a slow-growing plant that takes two to three years to flower. For the first year or so, it remains close to the ground as a circle (or basal rosette) of leaves. 

In its second year, the plant will grow to around five to seven feet tall and bloom with many pale pink or lavender flowers. Each flower head is actually made up of 100 or more tiny flowers that produce plentiful nectar. Its blooming time in late summer through fall makes it an important food source for pollinators—especially those gearing up for long migrations, like monarch butterflies or ruby-throated hummingbirds. 

After blooming, the thistle flowers produce abundant, high-protein seeds that many native birds, like American goldfinches, depend on. 

You can spot field thistle in many of TNC's open preserves in Ohio. 

Bloom time: August—October