Wildflowers are wild flowering plants that are found in wetlands, woodlands, and prairies in Illinois. You can see them along river banks, rock walls, dunes, and other habitats.
As spring approaches you will start seeing more wildflowers when out in nature.
Continue reading below to find the most common wildflowers you can see in Illinois.
Table of Contents
1. Common Milkweed
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a herbaceous perennial that can grow to six feet in height. There is a stout central stem with opposite leaves that are oblong and smooth. Upper leaves are dark green and hairless, and lower leaves are dense with woolly hairs.
Flowers are around four inches across and emerge from an axil on the upper leaves. The flowers are fragrant and can range in color from light pink to red-purple. The flowers have five petals and five raised hoods. The hoods are lighter in color than the petals.
Common milkweed can be found throughout Illinois in prairies, dunes, thickets, woodland borders, abandoned fields, pastures, and fields.
2. Mayapple
The Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a herbaceous perennial, growing to two-and-a-half feet in height. There are fertile and infertile plants. Infertile plants are unbranched with a single leaf on a tall stalk. Fertile plants have a pair of leaves on long petioles.
It produces white flowers with light green sepals. They bloom in the middle to late spring for around three weeks. The flowers have a pleasant fragrance. When the flower dies, it is replaced by a fleshy berry. The berry is long and light yellow.
The mayapple can be found in all counties in Illinois. It prefers open and deciduous woodlands, savannas, hillsides, and woodland openings.
3. Virginia Spring Beauty
This perennial wildflower (Claytonia virginica) grows to six inches in height with flowering stems with opposite leaves and a few basal leaves. The light green stem is succulent.
The small white flowers have fine pink stripes. They have five petals and the flower only opens on sunny days, closing in cloudy weather and at night. They are erect when open and droop when closed.
Flowers start to bloom from the middle to late spring and last up to two months. This wildflower can be found in deciduous woodlands, wooded bluffs, old cemeteries, lawns, and city parks in Illinois.
4. Wild Bergamot
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to four feet in height with light green stems. The opposite leaves vary from dark green to light green and give off an oregano scent.
The flowers bloom from the center and form a wreath of flowers in lavender or pink. This plant blooms from the middle of summer and lasts one month. You will encounter this wildflower in the southern counties of Illinois in prairies, oak woodlands, savannas, woodland borders, limestone glades, and thickets.
5. Virginia Bluebells
This wildflower (Mertensia virginica) is a herbaceous perennial that grows to two-and-a-half feet in height. It has a central and hairless stem in light green. The leaves alternate on the stem.
The flowers have a tubular corolla at the base with five white stamens and light brown anthers. The flower buds are blue-pink, purple, or pink. They bloom from the middle to late spring, lasting up to three weeks.
The Virginia bluebell occurs in most counties of Illinois. You will find them in woodlands and wooded bluffs. They can form large colonies along rivers and streams.
6. Wild Geranium
Wild Geraniums (Geranium maculatum) are herbaceous perennials that comprise a loose cluster of basal leaves and flowering stems. Each flower stem has a pair of opposite leaves at the base.
Each flowering stem has up to five flowers that have five rounded petals. The flowers have pale purple-pink petals with rounded tips and veins that are visible on the surface. This is a native plant in the woodlands of Illinois. They can be found in floodplains and upland woodlands, meadows, semi-shaded seeps, rocky glades, and savannas.
7. Common Blue Violet
This herbaceous perennial (Viola sororia) forms basal rosettes with mature plants growing to six inches in width and four inches in height. The flowers stand out just above the leaves. Leaves vary from dark green to yellow-green.
The flowers have five rounded petals with two upper petals, two lateral petals, and a single lower petal. The flowers vary from dark violet to medium violet. They start to bloom in the middle to late spring and can last up to one-and-a-half months. During the summer months, the flowers without petals produce seeds.
You can find the common blue violet throughout Illinois in prairies, open woodlands, savannas, wooded slopes, river beds, and developed areas.
8. Wild Carrot
Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) is a biennial herbaceous plant with a rosette of basal leaves in the first year. It grows quickly in the second year producing flower stalks. The foliage has a soapy fragrance.
In the second year, the plant’s stem is light green with red tints. Alternating leaves occur on the stem and are light green and trough0shaped.
Wild carrots can be found throughout Illinois. It was introduced to the United States from Europe and can now be found in overgrown thickets, weedy meadows, along railroads, lawns, abandoned fields, waste areas, prairies, and grassy roadsides.
9. White Snakeroot
This herbaceous perennial plant (Ageratina altissima) has light green and hairless stems. White snakeroot has large, hairless leaves that are dark to medium green and lighter green on the lower surface. The leaves have three veins on the upper surface.
It occurs in all counties of Illinois and can be found in deciduous woodlands, thickets, bluffs, meadows, along rivers, pastures, and yards. It is more common in wooded areas that are disturbed and degraded.
10. Bloodroot
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to twelve inches with basal leaves that wrap around the stalk of a single flower. The basal leaves unfold when the flower withers.
The flower stalks are stout with a red tinge. They produce a single flower. The stalk is approximately four inches when the flower starts to bloom. Each flower has up to sixteen white petals with yellow anthers.
Bloodroot starts to bloom in early spring and the flowers last around two weeks. Each flower only blooms for up to two days in sunny conditions with a fragrant scent. Once the flower withers, a seed capsule takes its place.
You can find bloodroot in the majority of Illinois counties. It is commonly seen in deciduous woodlands, bluff edges, river banks, wooded paths, shaded ravines, and on wooded slopes.
11. Ground-Ivy
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to one foot in height. It has a low-growing mat of stems and leaves that spread across the ground. This plant forms clusters of up to three tubular flowers on the leaf axil.
The flowers range from red-purple to blue-violet. They have dark violet lines that act as a nectar guide. This is not a native wildflower and can be found throughout Illinois. It was originally introduced from Europe.
You will find ground ivy in floodplain forests, river banks, woodland areas, lawns, gardens, waste areas, and cemeteries. They withstand regular mowing and prefer disturbed areas.
12. Amur Honeysuckle
This wildflower (Lonicera maackii) can grow to twenty feet and is branched. The older branches are gray with scaly ridges and grooves. Young twigs are brown and smooth. Opposite leaves occur on the branches.
Flowers occur on the leaf axils with a tubular corolla and five lobes. The corolla in younger flowers is white, turning cream as they get older. Flowers bloom in late spring and last around three weeks.
The fragrant flowers are replaced by juicy berries. You will find this wildflower in the east-central, southern, and northeast sections of Illinois. They are commonly seen in deciduous woodlands, thickets, woodland edges, savannas, fence rows, and waste areas.
13. Blue Phlox
This wildflower (Phlox divaricata) is a perennial plant with fertile shoots, growing to one-and-a-half feet in length. The infertile shoots are shorter, growing to one foot in height. The plant has red-brown to light green stems with opposite leave.
The green leaves are oval with short hairs. Each of the fertile central stems produces a rounded cluster of flowers. The corolla of each flower is light blue-violet, lavender, pink, or white. They start to bloom in the middle of spring and early summer, lasting one month.
The flowers produce a pleasant fragrance. Once the flower whithers, it is replaced by a four-millimeter seed capsule that contains tiny seeds. You will find this wildflower in woodland areas. This spring wildflower is vulnerable to habitat destruction and invasion in wooded areas.
14. New England Aster
The New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a perennial herb that has a thick underground stem system. The stems seen above the ground are hairy and erect, often growing in clumps. It has lance-shaped leaves that alternate on the stem.
The flowerhead comprises numerous flowers with the outer flowers being violet-purple. The inner flowers are yellow. It produces a dry and hard dark-brown fruit. It can be found throughout Illinois where it prefers moist ground and wet prairies. You will also see it along streams, in thickets, and wet meadows.
15. Cut-leaved Toothwort
This is a herbaceous perennial plant (Cardamine concatenata) that grows to ten inches in height. Basal leaves are separate from the fertile shoots. Fertile shoots have a single flowering stalk with three leaves.
The basal leaves are similar and are gray-green to medium-green. The flowers open and are erect when the sun is shining. The flowers have four white petals and four green or purple sepals. The stamens have yellow anthers.
These are fragrant wildflowers that can be found throughout Illinois. They are commonly seen in woodlands, wooded bluffs, and savannas.
16. Tall Bellflower
The Tall Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) is an annual or biennial herb with a milky sap. The stem has alternately arranged leaves. The lance-shaped leaves are toothed. The blue flowers are flat with a light ring at the center.
The flowers develop in clusters on a stalk that is approximately one-and-a-half feet in length. They produce club-shaped fruits that contain brown seeds. They are a common wildflower in Illinois on stream banks, in woods, and in thickets. They flower from June to October and the leaves are a food source for white-tailed deer.
17. White Fawnlily
The White Fawnlily (Erythronium albidum) is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to six inches in height. They have two basal leaves and a flower stalk, that produces a single flower. Younger plants do not flower, while mature plants bloom with a pair of leaves.
The flowers have six white sepals, six stamens, and long yellow anthers. They start to bloom in the middle of spring for around two weeks. This plant can create large colonies if not disturbed.
They are found in every county in Illinois, except for Jo Davies county. They occur in deciduous woodlands, on gentle slopes, and in wooded areas.
18. Chicory
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a biennial wildflower that can grow to three feet in height. The steams range from red-brown to green. Lower stems are hairy and upper stems are hairless. The leaves alternate on the stems and are smaller at the upper side of the stem.
Flowerheads have up to twenty ray forests. The petaloid rays are light blue and fade to white. At the center of each flowerhead, there are light blue stamens and blue anthers. The flowerheads bloom in the morning and close later in the day.
This wildflower has been observed throughout Illinois and is commonly found in pastures, along roadsides, grassy areas, waste areas, and abandoned fields.
19. Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a biennial or short-lived perennial plant that branches near the base. Each stem produces a single flower. The stems have white and long hairs. The leaves alternate on the stem in gray-green with stiff hairs.
Upper stems are long and do not have leaves, they produce a single flower. The flower has dark brown disk florets that form a flattened cone. This is surrounded by a twenty-ray floret in bright yellow. The flowers bloom in early summer for approximately one month.
This is a common native wildflower found throughout Illinois. You will find it in dry prairies, dry upland forests, rocky areas, limestone glades, and savannas. It can be found in abandoned fields and pastures in developed areas.
20. Grey-headed Coneflower
The Grey-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to four feet in height when flowering. It has long and slender stems with basal leaves that are irregular in shape.
Smaller leaves occur on the higher stems and are lance-shaped. They are rough in texture with stiff hairs and bumps. The flowers are daisy-like with up to thirteen dropping ray florets in yellow.
The flowers start to bloom in early summer for up to two months. The flowers do not produce a fragrance but the seed heads do produce a fragrance when crushed. This is a fairly common wildflower in Illinois found in prairies, woodland borders, railroads, thickets, and limestone glades.
21. Compass Plant
This (Silphium laciniatum) is a perennial plant growing to twelve feet in height with a thick central stem. The upper part of the plant branches into flowering stems. The inflorescence is elongated with yellow composite flowers.
The small tubular disc florets are sterile and the ray florets are fertile. It produces a slight floral scent. The flowers start to bloom in the middle of summer for around one-and-a-half months.
This plant can be found in savannas, sand prairies, railroads, and glades. It is common throughout Illinois, except in the southeast counties. It can recover quickly after a fire and is native to Illinois.
22. Milkweed
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow to two-and-a-half feet in height. Young plants develop from a single central stem. Older plants send up multiple erect stems from a large taproot.
These are unbranched stems below and become branches just above where the flowers bloom. The flowers have five sepals, five petals, five hoods, and a central column in white or light green. The sepals are light green and hairy. It produces orange petals that bend downwards.
The flowers can bloom once or twice each season. They can bloom in early summer and sometimes they bloom again in early fall. The flowers are long-lasting and are common in Illinois, except in the western sections of the state. They can be found in prairies, savannas, rocky woodlands, and sandstone glades in the south. They are commonly seen on roadside embankments, railroads, and sandy fields in the rest of the county.
23. Bluejacket
The Bluejacket (Tradescantia ohiensis) is a herbaceous perennial wildflower that is unbranched. It has a round central stem with alternating leaves. It produces light or blue-violet flowers in small clusters on the flowering stems, located at the top of the plant.
Each flower has three rounded petals and six yellow anthers. The flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon. They bloom from late spring for approximately one-and-a-half months. You will find this wildflower in oak savannas, prairies, woods, rivers, roadside ditches, and along railroads.
24. Dutchman’s Breeches
This herbaceous perennial plant (Dicentra cucullaria) has a rosette of basal leaves that can span six inches across. The gray-green to green basal leaves divide into three primary leaflets. The flowers form upside-down Dutchman’s breeches with two white outer petals and two pale-yellow inner petals.
This wildflower blooms from early spring for approximately two weeks. The flowers are replaced with seed capsules that are tapered at both ends. The capsules split into two releasing seeds.
This is a very common wildflower in Illinois that can be found in woodlands, ravines, and along streams.
25. Eastern Shooting Star
The Eastern Shooting Star (Primula meadia) is a perennial wildflower with a basal rosette of leaves with one or more flower stalks. The leaves are six inches in length and are oblong. They have a central vein with smooth margins.
A red or green flowering stalk emerges from the basal rosette and has five-petaled flowers. The flowers are rose-pink, light pink, or white. The inflorescent looks like shooting stars. They bloom from late spring for around one month. The entire plant dies in summer.
This is a native wildflower that can be found in most Illinois counties. They are often found in prairies, upland forests, river edges, abandoned fields, and limestone glades.
26. Virginia Waterleaf
Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) has leaves that look as though they are water-stained. The white or pale purple flowers perch on a single stalk. It has large leaves with up to seven lobes. This wildflower can grow to three feet in height.
It is a common wildflower in Illinois that blooms from April to July. You will find them in woodland habitats.
27. Red Clover
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is a herbaceous perennial wildflower that can grow to two inches in height. They have hairy stems that can be erect or sprawling. The leaves alternate on the stems with the lower leaves having long petioles. Upper leaves have short petioles.
The upper stems have flowerheads that have three leaflets right below the flowerhead. The flower heads consist of numerous flowers that are tubular shaped, spreading outward in several directions.
The flowers have five narrow petals in purple-pink or pink. They turn a lighter color towards the flower base. This is a non-native wildflower, originally introduced from Eurasia. It is found in pastures, fields, vacant lots, waste areas, prairies, weedy meadows, and grassy areas along roads.
28. Common Dandelion
Common Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are herbaceous perennial wildflowers with a rosette of basal leaves and flowering stalks. The leaves have triangular-shaped lobes. Each leaf has a prominent central vein that runs the length of the leaf. The leaves are hollow and produce a milky sap.
A single yellow flowerhead is produced at the apex of the flowering stalk. It is a very common wildflower found throughout Illinois in gardens, meadows, roads, lawns, and vacant lots.
29. Butterweed
Butterweed (Packera glabella) is a winter annual or biennial wildflower that forms a rosette of basal leaves. During spring, this plant grows to three feet. It has short flowering stems with alternating leaves.
The central stems and lateral terms have flat-headed flowerheads that are bunched together and spread out with age. Each flowerhead comprises up to fifteen rays Florette with disk florets in the center. The petaloid rays are yellow and oblong, the corollas are tubular and golden-yellow.
This wildflower blooms in the middle of spring for approximately two months giving off a pleasant floral scent. It is native to southern Illinois and can be found throughout most of the state. You will find it in meadows, along rivers, ponds, ditches, grassy areas, waste areas, floodplain forests, and agricultural fields that are not mowed regularly. They form large colonies in disturbed areas during a wet spring.
30. Golden Alexanders
This wildflower (Zizia aurea) is a herbaceous perennial that forms lateral stems. The stems are hairless, shiny, and light green. The lower compound leaves have long petioles which shorten the higher up the stem the leaf is found. The leaves alternate up the stem and are broadly oblong.
This plant has rounded yellow flowers at the top of the stems. It consists of twelve umbellets, which comprise up to twenty-one flowers. Each flower has five yellow petals. They bloom in late spring and last around one month.
It can be found in most states of Illinois, except in some western and southern colonies. They are found in moist woodlands, savannas, limestone glades, prairies, wooded buffs, thickets, and abandoned fields.
31. Cup Plant
The Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is a perennial wildflower growing to ten feet in height. It has a hairless, four-sided central stem with large opposite leaves. The leaves join around the stem to form a cup.
The yellow flowers bloom in early summer for approximately one month. Each sunflower-like flower has yellow disk florets and up to forty yellow ray florets. These wildflowers can form dense colonies.
This is a native wildflower found throughout Illinois, except in some southern counties. You will find them in prairies, near rivers, in moist meadows, woodland edges, fence rows, ditches, and thickets.
32. Swamp Milkweed
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a perennial wildflower that varies in size, depending on the environmental conditions. It has a central stem that forms lateral stems in light green. The leaves are opposite each other on the stems. The leaves are medium to dark green, though they do become yellow-green in bright sunlight and hot conditions.
Upper stems produce pink umbels of flowers. The flowers have five upright white hoods and five pink drooping petals. They occur in late summer, lasting approximately one month.
This native wildflower is common throughout Illinois and can be found in forests, thickets, marshes, drainage ditches, swamps, prairies, and along rivers.
33. Great Mullein
This wildflower (Verbascum thapsus) is biennial and has a rosette of basal leaves, approximately two feet across. It can grow to seven feet in the second year with alternating leaves. Only a few flowers will bloom at the same time.
The flowers are replaced with a cell capsule that has little seeds that rely on wind dispersal. It is commonly found throughout Illinois in limestone glades, clay backs, rocky slopes, fields, pastures, vacant lots, and dry waste areas. It seems to prefer disturbed areas.
34. Cutleaf Teasel
This is a biennial wildflower (Dipsacus laciniatus) that has a rosette of basal leaves in its first year. In the second year, it produces tall flowering stalks with white prickles and opposite leaves.
Each flowering stalk produces a cylindrical flowerhead that is densely packed together around the flowerhead. A wreath of flowers blooms together around the flowerhead from the middle of summer for up to two months.
This wildflower can be found in northeastern Illinois. It is still spreading throughout the state. It can be seen in pastures, waste areas, meadows, along rivers, on roadsides, in cemeteries, and savannas. It is considered a serious pest to native species.
35. False Sunflower
The False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is a perennial plant growing to five feet in height. It can become bushy in open areas. It has light green stems with opposite leaves that are distributed evenly along the stem.
The stems produce erect flowerheads that contain up to twenty ray florets and numerous disk florets. The petaloid rays are yellow to deep gold. The corollas are tiny and range from orange-yellow to golden yellow.
The flowers bloom in early summer, lasting up to three months.
The blooming period occurs from early summer to late summer, lasting about 2-3 months They can be found throughout Illinois, except in some of the southern counties. They can be found in meadows, wooded areas, woodland borders, thickets, prairies, limestone glades, steam banks, and along railroads.
36. Foxglove Beardtongue
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) is a perennial plant with a rosette of basal leaves clustered together. It produces white flowers that bloom from late spring for one month. The flowers are tubular and have no floral scent.
This white wildflower can be found in most of Illinois, except in some northwest and central counties. It is common in prairies, floodplains, forests, woodland borders, savannas, pastures, thickets, and abandoned fields.
37. Bittersweet Nightshade
Bitterweed Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is a perennial vine or semi-woody shrub that is slender. It is very common in wetlands and creeks, along with gardens, roadsides, parks, and field edges.
It is a very toxic wildflower to livestock, humans, and pets. It has dark green leaves that have a purple tinge and purple flowers, which are produced from the middle of May to September.
38. Common Evening-Primrose
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) is a biennial herb that is leafy and hairy. It has upright-branched stems with basal leaves forming in the first year. Stem leaves alternate up the stem. The lance-shaped leaves are toothed.
The yellow flowers have four petals arranged in spikes at the tip of the stem. They can be found throughout Illinois. They are commonly found in fields, thickets, prairies, and roadsides from June to October.
39. Purple Coneflower
The Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial wildflower that has light green stems with white hairs. The leaves can alternate up the stem or be opposite. They are smaller the higher they are on the stem.
The stems produce individual flowerheads with naked flowering stalks. The flower heads are daisy-like with up to twenty ray florets and numerous disk florets. The central one is yellow or red-brown, and prickly. The petaloid is purple and oblong.
This plant blooms in the middle of summer and lasts approximately one month. Some plants will bloom a second time in the early fall. It is a native wildflower that can be found in central and northeastern Illinois. It is often grown around homes and businesses. It has escaped cultivation and can be found in woodlands, thickets, limestone glades, savannas, and prairies.
40. White Clover
White Clover (Trifolium repens) is a herbaceous perennial wildflower growing to six feet in height. It has alternating compound leaves that are hairless. The flower heads are produced on long naked stems.
The flowerheads have up to fifty flowers. The flowers are tubular with five white or pink-white petals. They bloom intermittently for numerous months from spring to fall. This is a non-native wildflower common throughout Illinois.
You can find white clover in pastures, grassy meadows, parks, roadsides, woodlands, lawns, and waste areas.
41. Obedient Plant
The Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) is a herbaceous perennial plant, growing to four feet in height. It has a four-edged and hairless central stem with opposite leaves. The inflorescent has tall spikes of flowers at the end of the upper stems.
The spike has four rows of densely packed flowers. The tubular flowers range from white to purple-pink, to lavender with dots, strikes, or swirls in a darker color. They bloom in late summer and early fall.
It occurs in scattered counties in Illinois, though it is less common in the southern and western areas of the state. You will see the obedient plant in prairies, wooded areas, meadows, lake borders, limestone glades, and thickets.
42. White Wild Indigo
White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba) is a perennial herb that has alternating leaves along the stem. The stalked leaf is smooth and divided into three leaflets. They have long spikes that hold white flowers, which are five-petaled, growing to three-eighths of an inch.
It is a common wildflower in Illinois that can be seen from May to July. Bees are responsible for the pollination of this wildflower that can be found in deciduous forests and prairies.
43. Bird’s-foot Trefoil
This wildflower (Lotus corniculatus) is a herbaceous perennial that grows to two feet in height. It has round, hairless stems and alternating compound leaves with long petioles. It produces five-petaled flowers that are tinted with red and orange in the bright sun.
This plant blooms from early summer for up to two months. It is an aggressive pest found primarily in central and northern Illinois and is still spreading. You will find it in fields, roadside embankments, ditches, parks, waste areas, and pastures. It forms dense colonies that exclude other plants.
44. Prairie Dock
Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) has large basal leaves with a sandpaper texture. This wildflower has one or more flowering stalks that can grow to ten feet in height. The green stalks are hairless and divide into yellow flowerheads and spherical buds.
The flower heads consist of thirty ray florets with pointed tips and several disk florets. It blooms from late summer for approximately one month. It can be found in most of Illinois except for some south and northwest counties. It is a relatively common plant in limestone glades, prairies, savannas, roadsides, and along railroads.
45. Sharp-lobed Hepatica
This herbaceous perennial wildflower (Hepatica acutiloba) has a tuft of basal leaves that develop in late spring. Mature plants produce flowers on long stalks in early spring. The flowers are on a naked hairy stalk.
The flowers have up to eleven petal-like sepals and a green cluster of carpels in the center. It is native to wooded areas in central and northern Illinois. You will find this wildflower in woodlands, bluffs, limestone cliffs, and in cultivated gardens.
46. Late Boneset
Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) is a herbaceous perennial wildflower with white-haired stems. The leaves are produced opposite each other along the stem. It has a flat-topped inflorescence with numerous heads of white disk florets.
Each flowerhead has around twelve disk florets. They bloom in late summer for approximately one month. They produce a mild scent. It is native to Illinois and can be found throughout the country, except for three northern counties.
You will find the late boneset in ditches, swamps, near rivers, prairies, pastures, abandoned fields, and along roadsides.
47. Prairie Rosinweed
Prairie Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) is a herbaceous perennial plant that has a stout central stem with stiff short hairs. The leaves form opposite each other and also have stiff hairs on the upper and lower sides.
The flowers comprise numerous disk florets with up to twenty-five ray florets. Only the ray florets are fertile. They bloom from the middle of summer for approximately two months.
Prairie rosinweed can be found in most states of Illinois, except for the western and southern counties. It prefers prairies, rocky upland forests, along railroads, and limestone glades.
48. Common Yarrow
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a perennial plant that is unbranched. It has a pale green central stem with cobwebby white hairs. The leaves alternate up the stem, being smaller at the top. The fern-like leaves are green and widest in the middle.
Upper stems produce small flowerheads of five ray florets that can be a range of pastel colors. They bloom in early summer for approximately one month. You will find common yarrow throughout Illinois in a variety of habitats, including prairies, fields, waste areas, pastures, yards, and hedgerows.
49. Blue Vervain
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) is a slender herbaceous perennial wildflower growing to five feet in height. It has green to red stems with white hairs. The leaves form opposite each other and are veined with serrated margins.
It produces individual floral spikes with numerous blue-violet flowers. They bloom from mid-summer for approximately one month. It is a common and native wildflower in Illinois found in meadows, woodlands, thickets, marshes, ditches, pastures, and prairies.