It’s wildflower season! Wild lupines, penstemons, and sunflowers are a few seen in full bloom this time of year. Here’s a little info…

Lupine. There are over 200 species of wild lupines in North and South America, most are North American natives. They are flowers that usually have blue and purple hues, but there are also white, yellow, or occasional red varieties. They are found in dry areas, moist woods, and mountain slopes. Lupines attract butterflies, skippers, moths, bees, and hummingbirds. They can be considered deer-resistant because they are drought tolerant, deer usually want plants with more water content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penstemon. Penstemon is a common name for “beard tongue”, which comes from the bearded staminode found in most species. They are native to North America, found from Alaska to Mexico and coast to coast. There are many different colors of penstemons. They are found in habitats ranging from open deserts to moist fields to alpine zones. Penstemons attract pollinators such as hummingbirds, bees, wasps, and hawk moths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunflower. Sunflowers are native to North America. The common sunflower can be located throughout most of southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. This plant is now one of the most widely distributed species of sunflower. The common sunflower can be found along roadsides, foothills, prairies, sandy areas, clay soil, and dry plains. This plant needs direct sun and their heads follow it all day.