Wildflowers of the Eastern Woodlands
Deciduous forests cover much of the eastern United States, gradually giving way to coniferous forests farther north and grasslands to the west. Dominated by deciduous trees, eastern forests typically have several vertical layers of vegetation, including a dense, upper canopy of mature trees; a subcanopy of smaller or immature trees; and an understory of shrubs and low-growing herbaceous plants. Many woodland wildflowers, called spring ephemerals, bloom before the trees have leafed out; other species, which can tolerate partial or complete shade, flower later. The species in this collection comprise some of the most common spring wildflowers in eastern deciduous forests.Printer Friendly: Species List | List with Images | List with QR Tags to Mobile
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |
Cypripedium parviflorum | Yellow Lady's-slipper Orchid Lesser Yellow Lady's Slipper | |
Cypripedium reginae | Showy Lady's Slipper | |
Dicentra cucullaria | Dutchman's Breeches | |
Erythronium americanum | Yellow Trout-lily American Trout-lily Eastern Trout-lily Yellow Dogtooth Violet Adder's Tongue | |
Geranium maculatum | Spotted Geranium Wild Geranium Cranesbill | |
Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa | Roundlobe Hepatica Round-lobed Hepatica Liverleaf | |
Linnaea borealis | Twinflower American Twinflower | |
Maianthemum canadense | Canada Mayflower False Lily-of-the-valley | |
Maianthemum racemosum | Feathery False Lily Of The Valley False Solomon's Seal Feathery False Solomon's Seal False Spikenard Solomon's Plume Smilacina | |
Polygala paucifolia | Gaywings Fringed Polygala Flowering Wintergreen | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |