🇺🇸 The flowers of the United States

330 pages from the United States: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 60 cities and regions.

The United States is home to about 17,000 native species of flowering plants, making its flora among the richest in the temperate world. Its plant life ranges from arctic tundra to tropical forests, deserts, and rainforests. The country is known for flowering dogwood, redbud, magnolia, and mountain laurel, among others.

About 17,000 native flowering plant species grow in the U.S.
The flora ranges from arctic tundra to tropical rainforest and desert.
Flowering dogwood and southern magnolia are famous U.S. natives.
Thousands of native plants are rare, threatened, or endangered.
Blueberries and cranberries originated in the United States.

The plant life of the United States

Plant life in the United States is shaped by a wide range of climates and landscapes, from the arctic regions of Alaska to the tropical areas of Florida and Hawaii. The country’s flora is extremely diverse, with about 17,000 native vascular plant species and thousands more non-native plants now established. The U.S. supports rainforests, deserts, alpine meadows, and temperate forests, making it one of the most botanically varied temperate countries globally. Its native plants include many ornamentals and important crops.

From region to region in the United States

Flora changes dramatically across the United States. The arctic north of Alaska, tropical southern Florida and Hawaii, and the varied mountains and plains each have their own characteristic plants. Coastal areas face three different oceans, while deserts, rainforests, and alpine zones add to the diversity. The country is divided into several floristic regions and provinces, each with unique species and levels of endemism.

Flowers to know in the United States

Several flowering plants from the U.S. are now grown worldwide as ornamentals, such as flowering dogwood, redbud, mountain laurel, southern magnolia, and bald cypress. The country is also the original home of food plants like blueberries, cranberries, black raspberries, and pecans. Some species, like Franklinia alatamaha, are extinct or possibly extinct in the wild, while thousands more are considered rare or threatened.

How flowers are used in the United States

Many U.S. native plants are cultivated for gardens and landscaping, especially flowering trees and shrubs. The flora has also contributed important food crops, including berries, nuts, and maple syrup. Timber trees like Monterey pine are significant as well. Traditional uses and customs are not detailed in the source.

Threats and protection in the United States

Extinction and endangerment affect many native U.S. plants. Some, like Franklinia alatamaha, are extinct or missing from the wild. Thousands of other species are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered, either across their whole range or in particular states. Conservation efforts and reserves are implied but not described in detail.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flora of the United States", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in the United States

All 20

🇺🇸 Honolulu · All yearMake a lei in HonoluluLearn to string a Hawaiian flower lei, and see the lei stands of Chinatown. 🇺🇸 Los Angeles · All yearThe Los Angeles Flower District at dawnSeveral blocks of wholesale flower halls in downtown Los Angeles, open to the public and busiest before sunrise.

🇺🇸 New York City · All yearThe flower block on West 28th StreetA single Manhattan block where wholesale florists put trees, branches and buckets of flowers out on the pavement each morning.

🇺🇸 Kennett Square · All yearLongwood Gardens and its conservatoryThe former du Pont estate in Pennsylvania, with a vast glass conservatory, fountains and flower displays in every season.

🇺🇸 New York City · Feb to OctThe New York Botanical Garden in the BronxA 250-acre garden with a Victorian-style glasshouse, a late winter orchid show, an azalea hillside and a large rose garden.

🇺🇸 San Marino · Jan to DecThe Huntington's rose, camellia and desert gardensA library and art estate near Pasadena with more than a dozen themed gardens, strongest in winter and spring.

Chrysanthemum菊花 Autumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyond 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Wildflower

PoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrima The red-bracted shrub of Christmas displays, native to Mexico and Central America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 8 more · Wildflower

CarnationDianthus caryophyllus A fragrant flower with ruffled petals, grown worldwide for decoration and meaning 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower

California poppyEschscholzia californica The golden-orange wildflower and state flower of California 🇺🇸 United States and 6 more · Wildflower

Zinnia Bright, long-stemmed flowers native to dry grasslands from the US to South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower

Golden everlastingXerochrysum bracteatum Papery yellow or white daisy flowers native to Australia, lasting long after picking 🇦🇺 Australia and 6 more · Wildflower

Protea neriifolia A South African shrub with cone-shaped flower heads and hairy-tipped bracts 🇿🇦 South Africa and 3 more · Wildflower

Marguerite daisyArgyranthemum frutescens A bushy daisy shrub from the Canary Islands with white, yellow or pink blooms 🇪🇸 Spain and 3 more · Flowering shrub

Red gingerAlpinia purpurata A tropical plant with vivid red bracts often used in bouquets and ceremonies 🇼🇸 Samoa and 7 more · Wildflower Bells of IrelandMoluccella laevis Tall green spikes with bell-shaped calyces, grown for fresh and dried arrangements 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 more · Garden flower

Garden phloxPhlox paniculata A tall, fragrant perennial with pink or purple flower clusters for summer gardens 🇺🇸 United States and 2 more · Garden flower

Schizanthus Ferny-leaved annuals with butterfly-like flowers from Chile and Argentina 🇨🇱 Chile and 4 more · Wildflower

Blazing starLiatris Tall North American wildflowers with feathery purple or pink flower spikes 🇺🇸 United States and 3 more · Wildflower

Elegant zinniaZinnia elegans A bright annual garden flower from Mexico with many colourful forms 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Garden flower

BlueminkAgeratum houstonianum A fluffy blue annual often grown in garden borders and balcony boxes 🇬🇹 Guatemala and 7 more · Wildflower

SnapdragonAntirrhinum Garden flowers with dragon-shaped blooms that open when squeezed 🇩🇪 Germany and 4 more · Garden flower

Kangaroo paw Unusual tubular flowers from south-western Australia, shaped like a kangaroo’s paw 🇦🇺 Australia and 3 more · Wildflower

Black-eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta A daisy-like wildflower with a dark centre and bright yellow petals 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower

Easter lilyLilium longiflorum White, trumpet-shaped lily known for its role in Easter celebrations 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 more · Garden flower

Garden cosmosCosmos bipinnatus A tall annual with feathery leaves and pink, purple or white daisy-like flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower

Purple coneflowerEchinacea purpurea A North American wildflower with purple-pink petals and a spiny central cone 🇺🇸 United States · Wildflower

LisianthusEustoma A small gentian genus grown as the long-lasting cut flower lisianthus 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Cut flower

Red spider lilyLycoris radiata A bright-red autumn-blooming lily with spidery stamens 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Bulb flower

Blanket FlowerGaillardia aristata A drought-tolerant wildflower with yellow and maroon daisy-like blooms 🇺🇸 United States and 6 more · Wildflower

Nematanthus A trailing Brazilian plant with pouch-shaped flowers that resemble goldfish 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 more · Garden flower

Sulphur cosmosCosmos sulphureus A tall annual with yellow, orange, or red daisy-like blooms 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower

Baby's breathGypsophila paniculata A cloud of tiny white summer flowers used in bouquets and gardens 🇨🇳 China and 4 more · Herb or useful flower

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Blanket Flower: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chrysanthemum: Muhammad Mahdi Karim, GFDL 1.2, source
Sulphur cosmos: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Baby's breath: PiPi, Public domain, source
California poppy: Kaldari, CC0, source
Zinnia: John Alan Elson, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Golden everlasting: Mark Marathon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens: By Aaron Logan, CC BY 1.0, source
Protea neriifolia: Melburnian, CC BY 2.5, source
Dianthus: Darkone ( talk · contribs ), CC BY-SA 1.0, source
Poinsettia: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Marguerite daisy: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lei: possibly Fernando Le Bleux, Public domain, source
Red ginger: Octave Fargier, CC BY 2.0, source
Garden phlox: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Schizanthus: Penarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Blazing star: Chrumps, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Elegant zinnia: Simon Koopmann, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, source
Bluemink: Harry Alverson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Snapdragon: Sabina Bajracharya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kangaroo paw: Gnan garra, CC BY 2.5 au, source
Black-eyed Susan: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Easter lily: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Garden cosmos: George Chernilevsky, CC BY 4.0, source
Purple coneflower: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lisianthus: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
New York Botanical Garden: Anthony22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Red spider lily: Jim Evans, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Nematanthus: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
New York 28th Street Flower District: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, source