Can You Name All of These American Wildflowers?

By: Sameena Mughal
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name All of These American Wildflowers?
Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

Wildflowers are special because they don't need help from humans to grow. These flowers are found all over the prairies, mountains and forests of the United States. More than 10,000 species of wildflowers grow here, and most of them are native to this country. While stunning to look at, wildflowers have a unique history and contribute to the sustenance of local wildlife.

One flower with historical significance is jimsonweed. Its name comes from "Jamestown Weed," and it is a reference to the soldiers of the American Revolution who had to harvest this plant for food but suffered from hallucinations in the process. Native American tribes also used it in their ceremonies.

Many wildflowers produce nectar that pollen-producing insects like bees and mosquitoes need to survive. Others provide food for butterfly larvae that ensure their survival.

Besides, these flowers add to the natural landscape and make stellar additions to the gardens of people all over the country. Many varieties exist coast-to-coast throughout the United States, brightening the views of people who look at them.

Do you know your wildflowers from your houseplants? Take a look at the pictures we have put together and see how much of a flower enthusiast you are! Have fun!


Virginia Bluebell Do you know the name of these trumpet-shaped flowers?
Delphinium
Giant snowdrops
Virginia bluebell
Virginia bluebells grow from pink buds into light blue petals that form a trumpet shape. When these wildflowers grow in thick clusters, they put on quite the display, especially in the Midwest.
Lavender

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Dakota Verbena What do you call this plant native to Kansas?
Sugarbowls
Dakota verbena
When the eye-catching flowers of the Dakota verbena bloom, they stay awhile. They are in a continuous bloom throughout the spring and summer. These flowers stand out among the other plants around them because they rest on 18-inch-high stalks.
Spineless prickly pear
Fort Miller clarkia

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Toadshade This member of the lily family could be friends with a frog. Can you name it?
Green pitcher plant
Thimbleweed
Bur cucumber
Toadshade
Slow and steady wins the race for the perennial called toadshade. The wildflower gets its name for its similarity in size to a toad and an umbrella. It takes its time growing and expanding, but when it does, it can live up to 25 years.

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Dahlberg Daisy Do you recognize this citrusy bloom found in the South?
Dahlberg daisy
The Dahlberg daisy is a plant that grows low to the ground and makes a petite border for a garden. The splash of orange makes a fairy garden pop or any garden trail that a creative gardener cooks up.
Bristly fiddleneck
Parry's arnica
Chaffbush

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Eryngo Can you recognize this purple pineapple of a flower?
Wild bergamot
Eryngo
At first glance, this unusual looking flower looks like a thistle. It's actually a relative of roots like parsley and carrot and is edible. Still, its indigo coloring makes it a lovely part of an arrangement.
Sticky gilia
Emory's milkvetch

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Piedemont Azalea What is the name of this native of Georgia?
Scarlet calamint
Rose of Plymouth
Piedmont azalea
The piedmont azalea signals springtime in Georgia. It can grow well in the woods or a local's home garden. It's spread out all through the Southeast among coastal plains and mountainous regions.
Star chickweed

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Indian Pink This coastal wildflower is pretty like its name. What do you call it?
Ocotillo
Kingcup cactus
Butterfly milkweed
Indian pink
Although more red than pink, Indian pink wildflowers grow in every season. The red bulbs hold bursts of yellow petals that form a star, making them irresistible to local hummingbirds.

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Calendine Poppy Can you tell us the name of this wildflower that represents eternal sleep in Greek mythology?
Celandine poppy
The celandine poppy can be found up and down the east coast of the United States. In Greek and Roman mythology, other varieties of the wildflower were placed on tombstones and represented the blood of soldiers on a battlefield.
Yellow colic root
Bloodroot
Daffodil

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Blanket Flower What are these drought-tolerant wildflowers that cover the plains of North America called?
Blanket flower
Blanket flowers can come in one or two shades. Besides red and yellow, they can come in a bronze color and have a purplish base. They bloom in summertime throughout the southern part of the United States.
Staghorn cholla
California fuschia
Stream orchid

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Texas Bluebonnet Can you say the name of this flower of the Lone Star state?
Mountain laurel
Larkspur
Texas bluebonnet
Texas bluebonnets are wildflowers that grow like wildfire. They appear quickly in the soil. When they do, they add nitrogen, making it easier for other breeds of annuals and perennials to come in.
Lobed fleabane

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Chocolate Daisy What is this cavity-giver of the southwest called?
Desert rock pea
Yellow spider lily
Bitterweed
Chocolate daisy
At the center of the chocolate daisy are brown buds that unleash a smell of cocoa that will tickle the palate of any sweet lover. This "cocoa-licious" aroma is especially attractive to various insects, too.

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Carolina Jessamine Do you recognize this tree-climber also known as "poor man's rope?"
Honeysuckle
Carolina jessamine
This rough-stemmed, colorful native of the Carolinas has a knack for climbing on the trunks of trees and random telephone poles. You shouldn't climb after the Carolina Jessamine, though, as it is extremely toxic.
Jasmine
Geranium

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Long Spur Violets What is the name of this flower that's the same as a color of the rainbow?
Long-spurred violet
A long-spurred violet gets its name for what it is. It has lengthy spurs hidden behind its sagging flower heads with a violet color. The drooping flower petals add to this wildflower's mystique.
Hydrangea
Impatiens
Blue flax

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Agarita Can you name this southwestern wildflower that is also called the "babysitter bush?"
Althea shrub
Spineless prickly pear
Agarita
Found in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, the Agarita is a wildflower with many uses. Birds and other animals make nests in it, and it also makes fruit that supplies the sweetest juice.
Sunflower

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Native Wisteria What do you call this lilac bloom of the southwest?
Jimsonweed
Native wisteria
In Buddhism, wisteria symbolizes humility. But there is nothing humble about this lavender-hued beauty with a touch of yellow that grows in droves all over the eastern and south-central areas of the country.
Tulip
Hyacinth

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Passionflower Can you tell us the name of this bloom that has biblical significance?
Passionflower
The Jesuits who named the passionflower alluded to the suffering of Christ. To them, the petals symbolized the 10 loyal apostles. The corona represented the crown of thorns, and the five stamens were the five wounds.
Western showy aster
Littleleaf ratany
Texas stork bill

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Maximillian Sunflower Do you know this godly and princely wildflower found all over the U.S.?
Cooper's dog weed
Coneflower
Maxmillian sunflower
The Maxmillian sunflower is named for the prince who discovered it, and it was a symbol of the Incan sun god. In other cultures, its seeds were spread over gravesites to sustain the dead on their way to the next world.
Desert agave

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Cardinal Flower This flower shares its name with a bird. Can you name it?
Shadescale
Cardinal flower
A bold and brilliant red, the cardinal flower is, as naturalist John Burroughs said, "color itself." It hides in shade and woods, but that didn't stop Native Americans from using its roots for love potions.
Buckhorn cholla
Crimson columbine

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Wild bergamont Do you recognize this bushy, spindly member of the mint family?
Abaca
Peony
Chinese houses
Wild bergamot
Wild bergamot grows throughout the state of Illinois. The plant has leafy stems that allow it to spread throughout various prairies, woodlands, savannas, limestone glades and landfills.

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Fall Aster What are these pinwheels that shine in the fields in autumn called?
Dune lupine
Pennyroyal
Fall aster
Fall asters get their name from the Greek word for "star." Centuries ago, these wildflowers were believed to have magical properties, and people used them to protect themselves from evil.
Baby blue eyes

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Bellflower For whom it tolls. This perennial is named for what it looks like. Do you know it?
Musk thistle
Bellflower
Bellflowers grow freely in the wild but are popular as a border plant with its bright purple, bell-shaped petals. These plants are tall and can grow up to 3 feet high in the woods or hedgerows.
Purple clematis
Cane cholla

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Fringed Onion What do you call this threaded vegetable of California?
Fringed onion
The fringed onion is native to California and can only be found there. Although pale pink and white types can be found, the most common variety is the deep purple plant with six fanned-out petals.
Sacramento waxy dogbane
Cutleaf daisy
Rosy gilia

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Butterfly Weed Can you name for us this milkweed that you can find from Canada to Florida?
Wild sage
Scarlet pimpernel
Palmer's Indian mallow
Butterfly weed
The butterfly weed is a bright orange wildflower that is easy to grow. It can even survive in dry soil. It is especially important for Monarch butterflies who feeds off its nectar.

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Lady's Bedstraw Do you know the name of this plant that was used to stuff beds?
Foothill deer weed
Desert rock pea
Lady's bedstraw
Lady's bedstraw started off in Europe and Asia, but immigrants brought it to North America, and it now grows naturally in the United States. At one time, it was used to fill mattresses and pillows.
Scale bud

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Wild Carrot What is this crown-like flower that looks like cow parsley?
Desert holly
Wild carrot
Also known as Queen Anne's lace, wild carrot started off in Europe and southwest Asia but now grows in Illinois and Ohio. It takes two years to grow, starting with its roots, stems and leaves, then flowering sometime in its second year.
Angel's trumpets
Wooly bluestar

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Showy Goldenrod Can you say the name of this flashy flower of the East?
Showy goldenrod
The showy goldenrod is a late-season flower that provides nectar deep into fall when other plants are done blooming for the season. It grows to about 5 feet tall, making it ideal for larger areas of land.
Clover
Palmata
Rattlesnake master

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Talicup Lupine What are these spiky sparks of indigo that grow in the mountains called?
Larkspur
Mountain laurel
Arizona blue-eyes
Tailcup lupine
Tailcup lupine wildflowers grow in the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. These towering indigo plants can be placed in the front part of a wide meadow or in the bed of a garden.

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Prairie Sage Can you say the name of this silver-white shrub found all over the United States?
Mugwort
Common wormwood
Prairie sage
Prairie sage is also known as white sage. It is found all over the country as well as other parts of North America. It can be used medicinally for stomach ailments, and its smoke can be used for ceremonial purposes, too.
Silver mound

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Turtlehead This plant needs to come out of its shell. What do you call it?
Turtlehead
Also known as a snakehead or snake mouth, the turtlehead is found near banks, rivers and other watery areas along the East Coast. It is a low-maintenance wildflower that adds to a natural landscape or home garden.
Stonecrop
Spiderwort
Tickseed

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Marsh Marigold This wildflower and herb is a staple of wetlands and bogs. Can you name it?
Harebell
Water mint
Marsh marigold
The yellow buttercup marsh marigold or cowslip is an herb but cannot be used medicinally as it is poisonous. In order to make them usable, they have to be soaked in water and cooked.
Meadowsweet

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Wild Tarragon / Artemisia dracunculus Do you recognize this West Coast bloomer?
Lungworts
Wild tarragon
Wild tarragon grows in the western part of the United States from June to October. It grows on the side of the road, in fields and in canyons. It's used for cooking and herb medicine.
Legumes
Centaurium

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Golden Alexanders Can you name this zizia wildflower that belongs to the carrot family?
Black-eyed Susan
Sneezeweeds
Coneflower
Golden Alexanders
Golden Alexanders, also referred to as golden zizia, are native to the part of the country east of the Rocky Mountains. They are early bloomers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

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Adam and Eve orchid Can you name these endangered orchids of the Northeast?
Adam and Eve
While the Adam and Eve orchid is rare in Pennsylvania, it is on the endangered list in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. At one time, it was used to fix crockery that settlers broke.
Showy lady's slippers
Vanilla
Cattleya

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Alfalfa Flowers Also the name of a little rascal, this plant grows all over the country. What is it called?
Barley
Wheat
Alfalfa
Alfalfa has been widely used to feed livestock, but it has other uses. In American folk medicine, it has been used as a tonic, and the dried leaf has been used in herbal teas, powders and tablets.
Sorghum

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Belladonna Lily Can you name this wildflower found on the coast of California?
Red windflower
Hyssop
Brownfoot
Belladonna lily
Belladonna lilies are native to South Africa, but within the last 200 years, they have become common on the California coast. They tend to bloom in summer and have six petals and cluster in groups of at least six.

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Fairy Duster What is the name of this sparkler found in New Mexico, California and Arizona?
Bindweed
Fairy duster
Watch out for the pixie dust with the fairy duster. Although it resembles a Fourth of July sparkler, this wildflower blooms from February to May and thrives in desert, sand and rock.
Sea fig
Alpine paintbrush

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Chicory This blue pinwheel is called what?
Marsh skullcap
Forget-me-not
Chicory
Although the chicory is native to Europe, it now grows all over the United States. The plant has roots and leaves that are edible and is often used as a coffee substitute. It is also known as coffee weed.
Blue-eyed Mary

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Pale Flax Do you recognize this European import that resembles a lotus?
Speedwell
Penstemon
Pale flax
The pale flax is native to Europe but avid gardeners made a place for it in central to northern California and Oregon. It has five petals that range in color from light blue to light purple.
Baby blue-eyes

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Woodland Pinedrop What is this wildflower of the western forest that resembles grapes?
Snowplant
Woodland pinedrops
Woodland pinedrops is a unique wildflower in the western states between the Rockies and the Pacific. It produces no chlorophyll or leaves. Instead, it has oval, cream-yellow flowers dotted on a brownish-red spike of a stalk.
Heath
Coralroot

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Rock Jasmine What do you call this tiny primrose flower?
Rock jasmine
Rock jasmine is small and unassuming with its five-petaled flowers shaped like starfish grown on its stalks. It commonly grows in the Rocky Mountains states and favors rocky crevices to grow in, hence the name.
Angelica
Yerba mansa
Chamomile

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