Species library

Field marks, habits, and camera tips for the wildlife that visits backyard habitats.

Hot Rock Penstemon

Hot Rock Penstemon

Penstemon deustus

A champion of the scablands, the Hot Rock Penstemon thrives where others wither. Its creamy blooms and jagged leaves ...

Wildflowers
Indian tobacco

Indian tobacco

Lobelia inflata

Often overlooked until its seed pods swell into tiny green balloons, Indian tobacco is a fascinating native wildflowe...

Wildflowers
Ivy-leaved cyclamen

Ivy-leaved cyclamen

Cyclamen hederifolium

A hardy jewel of the autumn landscape, the Ivy-leaved cyclamen braves the cooling air to blanket the forest floor in ...

Wildflowers
Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Arisaema triphyllum

Meet the forest's master of disguise, a hooded woodland plant that changes its sex and traps pollinators in its disti...

Wildflowers
Japanese Iris

Japanese Iris

Iris sanguinea

Transform your garden into a regal display with the deep violet hues and elegant architecture of the Japanese Iris. A...

Wildflowers
Lady's Bedstraw

Lady's Bedstraw

Galium verum

Transforming meadows into golden carpets, Lady's Bedstraw is a fragrant perennial that brings a touch of ancient suns...

Wildflowers
large-flowered beardtongue

large-flowered beardtongue

Penstemon grandiflorus

The crown jewel of the prairie, the large-flowered beardtongue commands attention with its towering spikes of oversiz...

Wildflowers
largeflower Mexican clover

largeflower Mexican clover

Richardia grandiflora

Transforming lawns into blankets of 'Florida snow,' the largeflower Mexican clover is a resilient, low-growing wildfl...

Wildflowers
lesser celandine

lesser celandine

Ficaria verna

A cheerful herald of the coming warmth, lesser celandine blankets the damp earth in a sea of glossy, star-shaped yell...

Wildflowers
Little Gold Poppy

Little Gold Poppy

Eschscholzia minutiflora

A miniature masterpiece of the arid West, the Little Gold Poppy proves that beauty doesn't have to be big to be breat...

Wildflowers
Long-headed poppy

Long-headed poppy

Papaver dubium

A slender and elegant wildflower, the Long-headed poppy is a master of the sandy landscape, known for its soft salmon...

Wildflowers
long-leaved bluets

long-leaved bluets

Houstonia longifolia

A hardy summer wildflower that paints dry, rocky woods with a delicate wash of lilac. Long-leaved Bluets are the unsu...

Wildflowers
love-in-a-mist

love-in-a-mist

Nigella damascena

A whimsical garden treasure, Love-in-a-mist captivates with its jewel-toned blue flowers wrapped in a haze of feather...

Wildflowers
Low Beardtongue

Low Beardtongue

Penstemon humilis

A pint-sized powerhouse of the Western high desert, the Low Beardtongue paints rocky slopes in brilliant shades of vi...

Wildflowers
lyreleaf sage

lyreleaf sage

Salvia lyrata

A tough-as-nails native wildflower with elegant blue blooms, Lyreleaf Sage is a pollinator powerhouse that bridges th...

Wildflowers
marsh blue violet

marsh blue violet

Viola cucullata

A vibrant herald of spring, the marsh blue violet transforms soggy garden corners into a sea of deep purple. This 'ho...

Wildflowers
marsh hedge nettle

marsh hedge nettle

Stachys hispida

A hidden gem of the North American wetlands, the marsh hedge nettle stands out with its bristly stems and delicate, m...

Wildflowers
marsh marigold

marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

Glowing like nature's gold in the damp spring mud, the marsh marigold is a resilient herald of the changing seasons. ...

Wildflowers
Marsh Skullcap

Marsh Skullcap

Scutellaria galericulata

A striking blue sentinel of the wetlands, the Marsh Skullcap brings architectural beauty and vital nectar to the damp...

Wildflowers
marsh willowherb

marsh willowherb

Epilobium palustre

A delicate specialist of the northern wetlands, the marsh willowherb is a master of survival in boggy ground. Its tin...

Wildflowers
Maryland Sanicle

Maryland Sanicle

Sanicula marilandica

A stalwart of the North American woodland, the Maryland Sanicle is famous for its hooked 'hitchhiker' seeds and its h...

Wildflowers
Mexican prickly poppy

Mexican prickly poppy

Argemone mexicana

A resilient beauty of the sun-scorched earth, the Mexican prickly poppy combines delicate yellow blooms with a formid...

Wildflowers
Mojave Poppy

Mojave Poppy

Eschscholzia glyptosperma

A golden treasure of the arid Southwest, the Mojave Poppy turns barren desert washes into a sea of brilliant yellow a...

Wildflowers
musk mallow

musk mallow

Malva moschata

A summer staple with lace-like leaves and romantic pink blooms, the musk mallow is a pollinator's paradise. This eleg...

Wildflowers
musk thistle

musk thistle

Carduus nutans

Recognized by its dramatic drooping purple blooms and formidable spiny armor, the Musk Thistle is a master of surviva...

Wildflowers
Nettle-leaved Bellflower

Nettle-leaved Bellflower

Campanula trachelium

With its striking violet bells and rugged, nettle-like foliage, this wildflower is a staple of ancient woodlands and ...

Wildflowers
New England aster

New England aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

The New England aster is the undisputed royalty of the autumn garden, offering a vibrant explosion of purple just as ...

Wildflowers
New York aster

New York aster

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii

A vibrant late-season masterpiece, the New York aster paints the autumn landscape in shades of deep violet and gold. ...

Wildflowers
Ninepin Heath

Ninepin Heath

Erica mammosa

A stunning icon of the South African fynbos, the Ninepin Heath dazzles with its waxy, bowling-pin-shaped blooms and n...

Wildflowers
northern blue flag

northern blue flag

Iris versicolor

With its striking royal violet blooms and elegant sword-like leaves, the northern blue flag is the crown jewel of the...

Wildflowers
northern bog violet

northern bog violet

Viola nephrophylla

A splash of royal purple in the dampest corners of the wild, the northern bog violet is a resilient gem of the wetlan...

Wildflowers
northern phlox

northern phlox

Phlox adsurgens

A woodland gem of the Pacific Northwest, the northern phlox paints the forest floor in shades of rose and pink. This ...

Wildflowers
northern starflower

northern starflower

Lysimachia borealis

A shimmering white star of the northern forest floor, the Northern Starflower is a master of the shaded understory. I...

Wildflowers
orange coneflower

orange coneflower

Rudbeckia fulgida

A golden icon of the American prairie, the orange coneflower is a resilient perennial that brings vibrant color and a...

Wildflowers
orange hawkweed

orange hawkweed

Pilosella aurantiaca

With its fiery orange petals and peculiar black-haired stems, the Orange Hawkweed is one of the most visually strikin...

Wildflowers
pale-spiked lobelia

pale-spiked lobelia

Lobelia spicata

With its slender spikes of ethereal blue, the pale-spiked lobelia is a quiet masterpiece of the summer prairie. This ...

Wildflowers

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