These wildflowers are well suited to Manitoba's medium and moist prairies and woodlands. Some are more versatile and do well in dry or wet habitats, too.
Medium soils range from well-drained to somewhat poorly drained and may consist of sandy loam or clay with a thick, dark, nutrient-rich upper layer. Vegetation is dense and ranges from low (ground cover) to tall (>5 feet).
Moist soils may be subject to periodic flooding during spring melt or after heavy rains but do not remain water-logged. They are typically found in the transition zone between wetland and upland and can vary between clay, silt, loam and sand. The dominant graminoids, or grass-like plants, in these habitats are grasses (not sedges).
Wild Licorice
Look closely at the undersides of the leaves and you’ll find they’re covered in resinous dots.
Northern Bedstraw
Pass by a patch of northern bedstraw and you’ll surely be caught in a cloud of sweet perfume.
Black Snakeroot
Sometimes it’s the things that aren’t look-at-me spectacular that are the most intriguing.
Calico Aster
CALICO ASTER (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum) A common woodland/wet prairie aster with a widely branching inflorescence. The small white flowers have well-spaced ray petals and centers that quickly turn colour from creamy to purplish. Seed fluffs often […]
Wild Ginger
WILD GINGER Pairs of fuzzy-stemmed leaves sport a single reddish-brown flower at their bases in early spring. Plants spread by rhizomes that are found just beneath the soil surface. These rhizomes have a scent and […]
Downy Wood Violet
DOWNY WOOD VIOLET (Viola pubescens) My favourite violet! Large-leaved with eye-catching yellow flowers, it makes a great ground cover for rich, dry to medium woods. Best for areas with low competition. Grows with sun-loving sedge, […]
Many-flowered Aster
The flowers provide a late-season nectar source for a wide range of insects.
New England Aster
NEW ENGLAND ASTER ( Aster novae-angliae) Bold and beautiful, with either magenta or blue-purple flowers crowding the tops of robust, clasping-leaved plants, it’s a wonder that anyone would think they could improve the appearance of […]
Evening Primrose
EVENING PRIMROSE (Oenothera biennis) Plants are biennial, producing a basal rosette of finely fuzzy leaves the first year and a tall, leafy stem and flower spike the second year. Large yellow flowers with heart-shaped petals […]
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Prairie birds, such as the clay-colored sparrow, often conceal their nests in the dense branches and foliage.
Sweet-Scented Bedstraw
The sprawling, shade-loving nature of this bedstraw makes it great ground cover for woodland areas as several stems radiate out from a central point.
Golden Alexander
Yellow dill-like flower clusters appear in spring and attract a wide variety of insects.
Smooth Aster
Smooth aster brings welcomed colour and an important source of pollen/nectar to the late summer/fall landscape.
Purple Prairie Clover
Bright pink flowers with protruding yellow anthers are densely packed in unique cylindrical flower heads that begin flowering from the bottom up.
Prairie Dandelion
When flowering, prairie dandelion resembles the common dandelion, with its single yellow flower on a leafless stalk.
Pink-Flowered Onion
Pink-flowered onion usualy goes unnoticed until it’s flowering because the narrow, tubular leaves blend in with surrounding grasses.