Flower-Spotter Challenge
The challenge is to find and photograph as many flowers as you can from the Flower-Spotter’s list of 100 plants (see below). Here are the rules:
- Who: anybody of any age can participate.
- Where: photos must be taken in the St. Louis Area.
- When: photos may be taken over a 2-year period. They do not have to be taken during the week they are listed (although that’s when the flowers will most likely be in bloom)
- Data: record when and where each photo was taken.
- Responsibility: the plant and its habitat must be protected. Take care to not compact the soil or trample the neighboring plants. Photos of a picked flower will automatically disqualify the contestant.
Here is the Flower-Spotter’s official list of 100 plants and the dates when they are likely to be in flower. The plants were carefully chosen to introduce as many different plant families as possible. Click on a flower’s name to learn about it and to find out where it might be found growing in the St. Louis Area. Good luck!
Week 1 (March 20-26)
Note: This is an excellent week to remove Bush Honeysuckle because it’s easy to find.
- Bloodroot / Sanguinaria canadensis / or Celandine Poppy / Stylophorum diphyllum / (Papaveraceae [Papaveroideae subfamily])
- Dutchman’s Breeches /Dicentra cucullaria / or Squirrel Corn / Dicentra canadensis / (Papaveraceae [Fumarioideae subfamily])
- Corydalis – any species / Corydalis spp. / (Papaveraceae [Fumarioideae subfamily])
- Toothwort / Cardamine concatenata / (Brassicaceae)
Week 2 (March 27-April 2)
- Rue-Anemone / Thalictrum thalictroides / (Ranunculaceae)
- “False” Rue-Anemone / Enemion biternatum / (Ranunculaceae)
- Spring Beauty / Claytonia virginica / (Montiaceae)
- Trout Lily / Erythronium albidum or Erythronium americanum / (Liliaceae)
Week 3 (April 3-9)
- Bellwort / Uvularia grandiflora / (Colchicaceae)
- Birdsfoot Violet / Viola pedata / (Violaceae)
- Blue Phlox / Phlox divaricata / (Polemoniaceae)
Week 4 (April 10-16)
- Trillium / Trillium recurvatum / (Melanthiaceae)
- Virginia Bluebells / Mertensia virginica / (Boraginacae)
- Orange Puccoon / Lithospermum canescens / (Boraginacae)
- Wild Hyacinth / Camassia scilloides / (Asparagaceae-Agavoideae)
Week 5 (April 17-23)
- Mayapple / Podophyllum peltatum / (Berberidaceae)
- Pussytoes / Antennaria parlinii or Antennaria neglecta / (Asteraceae-Gnaphalieae)
- Wild Geranium / Geranium maculatum / (Geraniaceae)
Week 6 (April 24-30)
- Wild Ginger / Asarum canadense / (Aristolochiaceae)
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit / Arisaema triphyllum / (Araceae)
- Shooting Star / Primula meadia / (Primulaceae)
Week 7 (May 1-7)
Note: This is an excellent week to remove Bush Honeysuckle because it is in flower.
- Oxalis / Oxalis violacea or Oxalis dillenii or Oxalis stricta / (Oxalidaceae)
- Ragworts or Butterweed / Packera aurea, P. obovata, P. plattensis, or P. glabella / (Asteraceae-Senecioneae)
- Spiderwort / Tradescantia ohiensis or Tradescantia subaspersa or Tradesacantia virginiana / (Commelinaceae)
Week 8 (May 8-14)
- Baptisia / Baptisia alba or Baptisia australis or Baptisia bracteata / (Fabaceae-Faboideae)
- Columbine / Aquilegia canadensis
- Larkspur or Clematis / Delphinium tricorne or Clematis fremontii) / (Ranunculaceae)
- Solomon’s Plume / Maianthemum racemosum / (Asparagaceae-Nolinoideae)
Week 9 (May 15-21)
- Beardtongue / Penstemon digitalis or Penstemon pallidus / (Plantaginaceae-Cheloneae)
- Monarda / Monarda bradburiana or Monarda. fistulosa / (Lamiaceae-Nepetoideae)
- Sedges / Carex grayi or Carex squarrosa / (Cyperaceae)
Week 10 (May 22-28)
- Iris (Blue-Eyed Grass or Virginia Iris) / Sisyrinchium angustifolium or Iris virginica / (Iridaceae)
- Native Roses / Rosa carolina or Rosa setigera / (Rosaceae)
- Missouri Evening Primrose or Pinkladies / Oenothera macrocarpa or Oenothera speciosa / (Onagraceae)
Week 11 (May 29-June 4)
- Gamagrass or Orchard Grass / Tripsacum dactyloides or Dactylis glomerata / (Poaceae)
- Pagoda Plants / Blephilia hirsuta or Blephilia ciliata / (Lamiaceae-Nepetoideae)
- Prickly-Pear Cactus / Opuntia cespitosa / (Cactaceae)
Week 12 (June 5-11)
- New Jersey Tea or Carolina Buckthorn / Ceanothus americanus or Frangula caroliniana / (Rhamnaceae)
- Native Bittersweet / Celastrus scandens / (Celastraceae)
- Native Wahoo / Euonymus atropurpureus / (Celastraceae)
- Wild Hydrangea / Hydrangea arborescens / (Hydrangeaceae)
Week 13 (June 12-18)
- Buttonbush / Cephalanthus occidentalis / (Rubiaceae)
- Horsenettle / Solanum carolinense / (Solanaceae)
- Milkweed / Asclepias syriaca or Asclepias tuberosa / (Apocynaceae)
Week 14 (June 19-25)
- Elderberry / Sambucus canadensis / (Adoxaceae)
- Coneflower / Echinacea / (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)
- Prairie Coneflower / Ratibida / (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)
- Black-Eyed Susan / Rudbeckia / (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)
- Shrubby St. John’s Wort / Hypericum prolificum / (Hypericaceae)
Week 15 (June 26-July 2)
- Lizard’s Tail / Saururus cernuus / (Saururaceae)
- Royal Catchfly or Starry Campion / Silene regia or Silene stellata / (Caryophyllaceae)
- Verbena / V. bracteata or V. hastata or V. simplex or V. stricta or V. urticifolia / (Verbenaceae)
- Frogfruit / Phyla / (Verbenaceae)
Week 16 (July 3-9)
- Culver’s Root / Veronicastrum virginicum / (Plantaginaceae-Veroniceae)
- Passionflower (Yellow or Purple) / Passiflora lutea or Passiflora incarnata / (Passifloraceae)
- Rattlesnake Master / Eryngium yuccifolium / (Apiaceae)
Week 17 (July 10-16)
- Downy Skullcap / Scutellaria incana / (Lamiaceae-Scutellarioideae)
- Illinois Bundle Flower / Desmanthus illinoensis / (Fabaceae-Mimosoideae)
- Lopseed or Monkeyflower / Phryma leptostachya or Mimulus alatus or Mimulus ringens / (Phrymaceae)
Week 18 (July 17-23)
- Loosestrife / Lythrum alatum / (Lythraceae)
- Trumpet Vine / Campsis radicans / (Bignoniaceae)
- Wild Petunia / Ruellia humilis or Ruellia pedunculata or Ruellia strepens / (Acanthaceae)
Week 19 (July 24-30)
- Jewelweed / Impatiens capensis or Impatiens pallida / (Balsaminaceae)
- Wild Sweet Potato /Ipomoea pandurata
- Bindweed / Calystegia sepium or C. silvatica / (Convolvulaceae) *
- Yellow Lotus / Nelumbo lutea / (Nelumbonaceae)
Week 20 (July 31-August 6)
- Late Figwort / Scrophularia marilandica / (Scrophulariaceae)
- False Nettle or Wood Nettle / Boehmeria cylindrica or Laportea canadensis / (Urticaceae)
- Pickerel Weed / Pontederia cordata / (Pontederiaceae)
Week 21 (August 7-13)
- Chicory or Hawkweed / Cichorium or Hieracium / (Asteraceae-Cichorieae)
- Wild Lettuce or Desert Chicory / Lactuca or Pyrrhopappus / (Asteraceae-Cichorieae)
- Ditch Stonecrop / Penthorum sedoides / (Penthoraceae)
- Senna or Partridge Pea / Senna marilandica or Chamaecrista fasciculata or C. nictitans) (Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae)
Week 22 (August 14-20)
- Broadleaf Arrowhead / Sagitaria latifolia / (Alismataceae)
- Flowering Spurge / Euphorbia corollata / (Euphorbiaceae)
- Leafcup / Polymnia canadensis / (Asteraceae-Polymnieae)
Week 23 (August 21-27)
- Hemi-Parasites / Agalinis or Aureolaria or Dasistoma / (Orobanchaceae)
- Jumpseed / Persicaria virginiana / (Polygonaceae)
- Rose Mallow / Hibiscus lasiocarpos or Hibiscus moscheutos or Hibiscus laevis / (Malvaceae)
Week 24 (August 28-September 3)
- Sunflower / Helianthus / (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)
- Silphium / Silphium / (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)
- Wingstem / Verbesina / (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)
- Pinesap or Ghost Pipe / Monotropa hypopitys or Monotropa uniflora / (Ericaceae)
- Elephantfoot / Elephantopus carolinianus / (Asteraceae-Vernonieae)
- Ironweed / Vernonia / (Asteraceae-Vernonieae)
Week 25 (September 4-10)
- Bidens / Asteraceae-Coreopsidae
- Coreopsis / (Asteraceae-Coreopsidae
- Gentians / Gentiana alba or Gentiana andrewsii or Gentiana puberulenta / (Gentianaceae)
- Bellflower / Campanula americana / Campanulaceae
- Lobelia / Lobelia siphilitica or Lobelia cardinalis / Campanulaceae
Week 26 (September 11-17)
- Autumn Onion / Allium stellatum / (Amaryllidaceae)
- Snakeroot or Mistflower / Ageratina or Conoclinium / Asteraceae-Eupatorieae
- Boneset or Blazing Star / Eupatorium or Liatris / Asteraceae-Eupatorieae
- Lady’s Tresses / Spiranthes cernua or S. lacera or S. magnicamporum or S. ovalis or S. tuberosa / (Orchidaceae)
Week 27 (September 18-24)
- Aster (small white) / Symphyotrichum / Asteraceae-Astereae
- Aster (large purple) / Symphyotrichum / Asteraceae-Astereae
- Goldenrod (cylindrical) / Solidago / Asteraceae-Astereae
- Goldenrod (flat-top) / Solidago / Asteraceae-Astereae
- Sneezeweed / Helenium autumnale or Helenium flexuosum / Asteraceae-Helenieae
- Thistle / Cirsium altissimum or Cirsium discolor / (Asteraceae-Cynareae)
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