Wildflowers

Wildflowers are celebrated for their bright colors and natural beauty. Beyond being visually appealing, wildflowers play an essential role in supporting insects and other wildlife. In particular, pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds rely on wildflowers for nectar. As pollinators move from plant to plant, they transport pollen and ensure wildflowers can reproduce and remain healthy in the landscape. Many insects also use wildflowers as places to breed or lay eggs.

The Upper Delaware Region is home to several important host plants for pollinators. Some pollinators rely on a specific plant species for a part of their life cycle, and these plants are deemed host plants for that particular pollinator. Without their host plants, many pollinators would not survive. One example is Monarch Butterflies and milkweed. Several different milkweed species are present in the park, including Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, and Butterfly Milkweed. Monarch caterpillars exclusively eat milkweed. The leaves contain compounds called cardenolides, which are toxic to almost all other insects except Monarch caterpillars. After the caterpillars eat the leaves, they retain the toxic cardenolides, and most birds avoid eating Monarch caterpillars and butterflies as a result. 

Another wildflower found in the Upper Delaware Region, White Turtlehead, is a host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. White Turtlehead has uniquely shaped white tubular flowers which resemble a turtle’s head. Similar to the relationship between Monarch caterpillars and milkweed, young Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillars almost exclusively feed on White Turtlehead. Female butterflies lay eggs on the leaves of White Turtlehead, and after the eggs hatch, the larvae begin consuming the leaves. The caterpillars usually build a communal web on the edge of White Turtlehead leaves, which helps protect them from predators. Throughout its range, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly has experienced a significant decline. Maintaining healthy populations of White Turtlehead is an important step in helping conserve the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly.

Some wildflowers have evolved to perfectly suit their pollinator, like the Cardinal Flower. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird pollinates the Cardinal Flower. The bright red flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds. Hummingbirds possess long tongues that can reach the nectar at the base of the long tubular flowers. The anthers of the plant, which produce pollen, are ideally placed to brush up against the hummingbird’s head as they sip on nectar. When they visit another flower, they unknowingly transfer the pollen and allow the plant to reproduce.

Some of the other wildflowers present in the park include goldenrods, Wild Bergamot, Square-stemmed Monkey Flower, and Common Sneezeweed. Several different species of goldenrod are present in the park, including Showy Goldenrod, Giant Goldenrod, Zigzag Goldenrod, and many more. Goldenrod plants are generally tall with clusters of small bright yellow flowers. Wild Bergamot is a showy perennial found in the park, with clusters of lavender, pink, or white flowers atop square-shaped stems. Its leaves have a minty aroma, and the plant is favored by bumblebees. Square-stemmed Monkey Flower can be found in swampy areas and along stream banks. Its lavender-colored flowers superficially resemble a monkey’s face, giving the flower its name. Common Sneezeweed is another showy perennial found in the park. It has bright yellow flowers with a slightly duller yellow center. Common Sneezeweed flowers in late summer and autumn often attracting many bees and butterflies.

Common native wildflower species in the Upper Delaware Region include:

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Giant Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Square-stemmed Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)

White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)