r/Wildflowers

And now I think of it all the time

I love it when these show up in the spring here at my place in NE Georgia

We discovered these outside Creede, Colorado in July 2023. At that time, it seemed like there were masses of them growing under trees that were dead or nearly dying. You can see this for the third picture I have attached.

Normally the plains would be green after spring rains and melting snow. We haven’t had either. But, nature is resilient, and the blooms are there to welcome the pollinators so they can continue their partnership.

The last photo is where these flowers are blooming. Most of the land is either leased out to ranchers by BLM(bureau of land management) or its private ranch land. So it’s either trodden on by cattle, or sold off to land developers to built tract homes. I’ll take the ranch land any day, but it’s still unfortunate that nothing in nature is ever safe from human activity.

From a distance they look like a cloud landed on the moss

Is this going to be a test of “only the strong survive”, or should I and the best way to prep the wildflowers for an overnight sleep in the lower 20 degree F?

This is my very first wildflower (pollination habitat) garden and things have already taken off. In Zone5b I catch my green thumb early on w/ teaser temps. in the 70’s. I sowed this bed the first weekend of April and seeds have not only germinated, but taken hold of soil and sprouting well.

Should I or could I protect these sprouts for the cold temps. in Upstate NY tonight? Should I not overthink it and just let nature run its course to where this will be the test of only the strongest survive?

Let me know Zone 5b’ers, let me know 🌺 🌼

Picture: This morning’s awakening 04/20/26

A great day out orchid hunting on the South Downs saw a few other Wildflower species as well. Enjoy!

Growing in the root flare of our big red oak, western NY.

Found outside Creede, Colorado, July 2023

Found near Lake City, Colorado August 2019