What is a wildflower?

How to save the world with plants #02 by @cast-iron-garden.bsky.social

A digital drawing of a five-petaled flower with a pale yellow center, surrounded by several three-lobed leaves.

A native wildflower, purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)

“Wildflower” is a marketing category

The advertising label “wildflower” often indicates one or more of these concepts:

  • Plants often grown in a naturalistic or meadow setting
  • Plants native in a given region

Many “regional” mixes contain non-native species. The label simply indicates the plants can usually grow here.

Why do we care?

Native species provide more nutrition to local pollinators and birds. Even related non-native species often are not as nutritious, or timed well, to feed the ecosystem.

A line drawing of a cartoon smiling butterfly holding a steaming mug.

Get mixes for Oklahoma ecosystems

  • Only buy mixes that list all included seed species

  • Check where each listed species is native using wildflowersearch.org

  • Buy from reputable nurseries that sell only native plants or clearly label them

QR code that lands directly on the seed mixes page for the Cast Iron Garden website

Get seed mix lists at cast_iron_garden.codeberg.page or scan the QR code!
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