Wildflowers
Wildflowers
The Wabanaki-Acadian forest has a large variety of native wildflowers. These plants are adapted for many different habitats, from the forest floor to the coastal shoreline. They create habitat and food for animals, and protect soil, among many other roles. Their beauty and diversity enhances any ecosystem they appear in. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the native wildflowers we have on Prince Edward Island.
Apios americana
Rarity: S1 (critically imperilled)
Description: A vine that can grow up to 20 feet long, with pinnate leaves 8-15 cm long. Produces edible beans and large edible tubers. Flowers are usually pink, purple or reddish-brown.
Habitat: Prefers wet conditions, such as marshes, wet thickets, stream banks, and forests with poor-drainage.
Planting conditions: Can be planted in moist soil in full sun, in landscaping or restoration plantings, or for harvest.
Arisaema triphyllum
Rarity: S4 (apparently secure)
Description: A small flower with three-part leaves, and a large upright, conical flower with a small hood. Can be dark green and purplish. Its fruit ripens in the fall, turning a deep orange/red colour.
Habitat: Grows in a shaded woodland conditions, preferring moist conditions. It grows well near streams but does not tolerate consistent standing water.
Planting conditions: Often used in our woodland plantings when working near streams or in wetter areas, can be good for landscaping if there are shady areas.
Verbena hastata
Rarity: S1 (critically imperilled)
Description: A medium-sized wildflower with showy purple or blue flowers arranging on the stem in a conical shape. It has slim, oval, toothed leaves and a hairy, square stem. It is excellent for pollinators.
Habitat: It grows in wet conditions in full sun. Thrives in swamps.
Planting conditions: Wonderful for landscaping in wetter areas around the home. Used in restoration plantings of open wetlands.
Asclepias incarnata
Rarity: S2 (imperilled)
Description: A large wildflower. The stems grow from a compact white fibrous root system with more stems emerging each year. It has oppositely arranged smooth leaves that are pointed at the tip and rounded near the petiole. The pink and white flowers emerge in early August with a vanilla-like scent.
Habitat: Swamp milkweed thrives with full sun and wet soils. Naturally found in marshes, swamps and other open wet sites. Does not tolerate very windy conditions, especially on drier sites.
Planting conditions: Used in restoration plantings of sunny, wet woodlands and other open areas. Excellent for use in pollinator gardens and in landscaping, as long as there is sufficient sun and not too much wind.
Circaea alpina
Rarity: Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A small wildflower with clusters of stalked white flowers. Thin, oval, toothed leaves grow oppositely and are slightly heart-shaped. The stem is mostly hairless.
Habitat: Often found in damp wetlands, and moist shady forests, but does not tolerate standing water.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration plantings in shady woods.
Circaea canadensis
Rarity: S2/S3 (imperilled/vulnerable)
Description: A small to medium wildflower. Its very small flowers grow in a spiked cluster at the top of the stalk. Has simple, opposite, toothed leaves.
Habitat: Grows in wet and forested areas and riparian zones, but can be found in drier sites.
Planting conditions: Used in restoration plantings of wetlands, wet forested areas and riparian zones.
Eutrochium maculatum
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A large wildflower. It produces a large spray of clusters of purplish/pink or white flowers. Has slim, finely toothed leaves.
Habitat: Thrives in marshes and other open wetlands. Can be found in ditches and wet fields and any other wet and sunny areas.
Planting conditions: Used in wetland restoration plantings. Can be a good choice for landscaping in more damp areas. Will not tolerate shade.
Anemonastrum canadense
Rarity: S1 (critically imperilled)
Description: A small to medium sized wildflower with white, 3 to 5 petaled flowers with yellow centers. A single flower grows per stalk, and it has deeply lobed leaves. Often grows in large clumps.
Habitat: Can be found in wet meadows and other wet, sunny areas.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration plantings, as well as in landscaping work. If using in full sun, but the soil should be moist and good quality, with good mulching.
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Rarity: S3/S4 (vulnerable/apparently secure)
Description: A medium to large wildflower. Its tiny white flowers are arranged in clusters on a hairy stalk. Has long, oval, toothed leaves that grow oppositely, and look as though the stem has punched through the middle of where the leaves meet.
Habitat: Found in low, wet areas with full sun.
Planting conditions: Can be used in sunny, open wetland restoration plantings. Can be used in landscaping as well, but the soil needs to be good quality and moist, with good mulching.
Trillium cernuum
Rarity: S4 (apparently secure)
Description: This small wildflower has a whorl of three leaves, with its distinctive flower "nodding" below those leaves. The flower itself has a three curved white petals, developing into a large red fruit.
Habitat: Found in partial or full shade on the forest floor, in rich, moist soil.
Planting conditions: Used in our restoration plantings, such as in patch cuts.
Viola pubescens
Rarity: S2/S3 (imperilled/vulnerable)
Description: A small wildflower with round petaled yellow flowers. Its leaves are deeply veined and slightly heart-shaped, with fine teeth. Grows in clusters.
Habitat: Grows in rich, somewhat shaded woodlands and sometimes in meadows.
Planting conditions: Used in restorative woodland plantings, such as in patches. Can be used in landscaping, as long as the soil is rich.
Osmorhiza longistylis
Rarity: S2/S3 (imperilled/vulnerable)
Description: A medium sized wildflower. It produces umbels of small white flowers and has large, compound leaves. Has a hairy stem and leaves.
Habitat: Grows in rich forest soil in partial shade.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration forestry plantings, such as in patch-cuts or underplanted in a somewhat more open forest. Great for landscaping, but should be planted in partial shade with shelter.
Iris versicolor
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A medium sized wildflower. Easily distinguished by their large, bright blue-purple flowers. These flowers consist of three vibrant sepals with yellow or white centre stripes. In the centre of these downward curving sepals, there are three smaller upright petals.
Habitat: Grows well in wet areas such as swampy meadows or riparian areas. Thrives in sunny or partially shaded areas. Can handle being submerged in water for a period of time. It makes a dense mat of foliage.
Planting conditions: great for plantings in wet riparian zones, as well as wetter parts of yards in landscaping, and in pollinator gardens.
Solidago sempervirens
Rarity: S4/S5 (apparently secure/secure)
Description: A medium to large wildflower. Has thick, smooth, oval leaves and a large conical clump of golden flowers. It blooms in the summer and into the fall.
Habitat: Often found in coastal conditions, in full sun with wind and salt spray. It appears in sand dunes, salt marshes, and along estuaries.
Planting conditions: Can be used in coastal restoration plantings. Can be used in landscaping as long as it gets full sun, but is well-suited to shoreline properties.
Rudbeckia laciniata
Rarity: S2 (imperilled)
Description: A large wildflower. Has large composite flowers in August with striking yellow petal-like rays. The flowers elongate into “cones” and turn brown as seeds ripen. The dark green basal leaves vary slightly in form, usually having three lobes or 5-7 pinnate lobes. The leaves ascending the stem are alternating.
Habitat: Yellow coneflower is usually found in open and relatively wet areas like the edges of swamps, sunken areas like ditches, anywhere sunny where water is plentiful.
Planting conditions: Great for use in landscaping, particularly pollinator gardens. More mulch and compost will help it thrive in drier conditions. Windy sites will keep it from reaching maximum height and it will be more prone to wilting. In forest restoration, used in plantings on the edges of wet woods.
Dicentra cucullaria
Rarity: S1 (critically imperilled)
Description: A very small wildflower. This spring ephemeral has small sprays of feather leaves. Its flowers are white and yellow, and appear on arched stems above the leaves. Appears in spring and disappears completely by the time summer arrives.
Habitat: Grows in sheltered, shady forest conditions, particularly in deciduous forests near streams.
Planting conditions: Excellent for use in restoration forest plantings, underplanted near streams and in other shady conditions. Can be used in landscaping if in a shady, sheltered area with rich soil.
Clematis virginiana
Rarity: S4 (apparently secure)
Description: A large vine. It has compound, oppositely arranged leaves and clusters of small white flowers. It climbs, and can spread over 6 metres long.
Habitat: Clematis thrives in sunny and moist sites such as stream banks, ditches, and forest edges. It will tolerate light shade if the soil is not too dry, such as open woodlands in riparian zones.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration plantings along forest edges and riparian zones. Its showy flowers, delicate fluffy seeds and climbing abilities make it an excellent plant for landscaping, but it needs a structure to climb on.
Sisyrinchium montanum
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A small wildflower. It has purple, large-petaled flowers with yellow centres. The flowers are often in a star shape. It has long, thin bladed leaves in a bright green, and which can be difficult to distinguish from young blue flag iris.
Habitat: Grows in open, sunny meadows.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration plantings of sunny areas. Great for landscaping in full sun.
Geranium robertianum
Rarity: S4 (apparently secure)
Description: A medium sized wildflower. It produces small, five-petaled pink flowers on reddish stems. Its leaves are deeply cut, and also turn reddish in the fall.
Habitat: It grows best in dappled light or partial shade in well drained soil.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration plantings along forest edges or in woodlands with paritially open canopies. It is excellent as a ground cover, as it self seeds easily.
Actaea pachypoda and Actaea rubra
Rarity: White baneberry S2 (imperilled); red baneberry S4 (apparently secure)
Description: A medium sized wildflower with three large compound leaves that have closely toothed leaflets growing at the top of single stalk. Flowers emerge in early June, producing a flowering spike covered in clusters of small white flowers. Once pollinated the flowers will produce waxy, shiny berries that are distinctly white or red, depending on the species. The berries are toxic, hense baneberry.
Habitat: Baneberry thrives in early successional forests with dappled light and well drained soil.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration plantings in early successional forests or in patchcuts. Baneberry will also thrive in shade gardens and is an excellent landscape plant both for its beautiful flowers and stricking berries. It is toxic and so should be used with care.
