The Best Ways to Identify Any Wildflower You See
Thanks to Lady Bird Johnson and the Highway Improvement Act of 1965, a spring and summer drive can feel like driving through a colorful landscape filled with wildflowers in every shade. In Texas, we love our bluebonnets so much that in the spring, cars often pull off the highway for a quick family portrait.
Naturalist Andrea Debbink loves the sight of purple forest flowers such as forest violets, wild geraniums and wild blue phlox painting a purple carpet on the forest floor. According to Debbink, seeing wildflowers is not only visually stunning, but can also inspire a person.
“The most interesting wildflower I have learned about is fireweed,” says Debbink, author of Finding Flowers: Enjoying the Splendor of Wildflowers . “This is an incredible plant that gets its name from its ability to recover quickly after a fire. When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, some scientists predicted it would be decades or more before plant and animal life returned to the area. Instead, just two weeks after the volcano erupted, fireweed sprouted in the dust. I think there’s something inspiring about a plant that can do that.”
If your understanding of wildflowers is limited to a cute boho print or other people’s Instagram photos, consider taking a closer look at what’s growing around you.
“I think it’s important to pay attention to wildflowers in our local environment for the same reason we should pay attention to any part of nature (including wildlife and other plants): we are part of the same ecosystem,” Debbink said. “Or, to think about it another way, we are part of the same community. And wildflowers can enrich our lives with their beauty and environmental benefits.”
Various wildflowers bloom year-round, but spring and summer are the best times to see the blooms.
Where to look for wildflowers
In Finding Flowers, Debbink suggests watching for these types of wildflower locations:
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Disturbed areas: If vegetation or topsoil has been disturbed by human activity or natural events, wildflowers may grow there (such as fireweed around Mount St. Helens).
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Roadsides. Spaces between and next to highways and small roads can become border spaces where native plants can grow wild.
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Seepage: The ground is moist and fertile for wildflowers, where groundwater and springs emerge from the ground.
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Thickets: Look for dense stands of trees and shrubs that are close together.
Try using the identification tools below to learn more about the colors you discover.
Online identification tools
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PlantNet : Available online or as an app in the AppStore or Google Play. Upload a photo of the plant you want to identify and the AI will compare it to photos of known plants. Use your observations to determine the most likely identification.
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iNaturalist : This is a digital version of your old nature magazine, available on the AppStore or Google Play. Plus, it puts you in touch with a whole community of other naturalists who can help you identify plants and creatures.
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Discover Life : Use ID Nature Guides on this site to identify plants, insects, vertebrates, fungi and more. Select the known characteristics of the wildflower you want to identify and see which species meet the criteria and are likely to grow in your area.
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“My Wildflowers” and “Searching for Wildflowers” . These two modes are very similar to Discover Life. You select some features of the location where you observed the flower and the appearance of the flower, and the site will show you potential matches. You may have to try several sites or search tools to find the best option.
Pocket Guides to Wildflowers
If apps, artificial intelligence, and online search engines aren’t your preferred way to connect with nature (or you don’t have a good signal in the desert), you can also take a pocket guide with you on your trip.
“There are a lot of great resources for people who want to learn how to identify wildflowers,” Debbink says. “I use apps and websites, but I always start with the paperback wildflower guide I’ve had for years. It is most helpful to use a field guide specifically designed for your state or region.”
Try one of these guides to North American wildflowers:
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National Geographic’s Pocket Guide to North American Wildflowers
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National Audubon Society Wildflowers of North America (This publication is for only the deepest of pockets, weighing 4 pounds and 912 pages.)
You found flowers; Now what?
It may be tempting to pick these beautiful flowers and take them home, but not so quickly.
“In most cases, it is best to err on the side of caution and not collect wildflowers or other plants. There are many places where collecting plants is prohibited, such as state parks, and even if it is allowed, removing plants from their habitat can be detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem,” Debbink said. “However, you can grow native wildflowers in your garden or even in containers, which will not only help pollinators, but also allow you to enjoy the flowers or pick them yourself.”
If you want to “preserve” wildflowers you find in the wild, consider how you can create an image of the flower.
“I think photography is a simple and accessible way to ‘preserve’ wildflowers without disturbing them,” Debbink said. “It can also help you really see the plant and study it. If you take the time, it can even be a deliberate practice. The same can be said for other visual arts such as drawing or painting.”
Your interest and curiosity about the wildflowers where you live can be the first step in supporting their growth.
“In my book, I tell the story of how, as an adult, I began to remember the names of plants that surrounded me all my life. This is a fairly common scenario,” Debbink said. “Once you have some awareness or knowledge about native wildflowers in your community, you can plant them or encourage places like parks or schools to include them in their landscaping.”