The familiar prairie flower blooms in the mid-spring through the fall. The flowers have a brown button-like disk which the yellow petal-like ray flowers surround.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.

Common milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly life cycle. The milky sap or latex inside this plant, eaten by monarch caterpillars, is what makes the animal toxic to predators. This tall wildflower produces a globe of unique looking soft pink flowers.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.

A small understory tree or large multi-trunked shrub, 6 to 20 ft tall, usually growing in clumps with many upright branches. The flowers open before the leaves emerge (or leaves are still folded and hairy when flowers emerge).

Read more on the species info page.

Garlic mustard is an invasive herb of the mustard family. It spreads rapidly on the forest floor and crowds out native wildflowers that may be trying to sprout. This plant comes up in late spring and can be harvested as a tasty vegetable.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.

This native shrub can be found throughout the Appalachian region. In the early summer it produces beautiful white flowers tinged with pink. This evergreen shrub is a toxic member of the blueberry family.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.

This pretty native perennial attracts a variety of butterflies and moths and adds beautiful color to the fall garden. It is also not particularly well-liked by rabbits, so is good to grow if you have problems with rabbit browsing.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.

Red columbines have red, tubular flowers that hang downwards with upward pointing claw-like spurs. They typically have leaves divided in threes which each have three lobes. Hummingbirds and bees are important pollinators of this species.

Read more on the species info page.

These fist-sized, football-shaped flowers are a vibrant red petal covering a yellow corn cob like spadix inside. The leaves smell very similar to skunk spray. These wetlands plants bloom in late winter to early spring and have a chemical property that melts the snow around them when they're ready to bloom.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.

The distinctive bell-shaped flowers are bright sky-blue in color. Look for this striking flower in the moist woodlands of eastern North America.

Read more on the species info page.

Water lilies can be found in many ponds. They have large and colorful lotus-like flowers that deer eat. The leaves are bright green, circular and have a small notch in them. The leaves float flat on the water surface with a long stem tethering them to the pond bottom.

See the Phenophase Field Guide.