Ontario Wildflowers

If you want to add a little beauty to your garden, consider planting some native wildflowers.

Ontario is home to some spectacular wildflowers that add plenty of colour and variety to your garden. Not only are native wildflowers beautiful, they are also beneficial to the local environment and increase biodiversity.

Planting native wildflowers in your garden can help support local wildlife and create a colourful, vibrant garden. Plus, they are easy to identify and are well-adapted to the local climate, making them some of the best flowers to plant in your garden, in your flowerbed, or window planter.

In this blog post, we'll look at four popular native wildflowers to Ontario that we love!

 

Pale Purple Coneflower:

Echinacea purpurea

 

Native to Southern Ontario, the pale purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has a long bloom period and attracts pollinators and even hummingbirds. It's a perennial that prefers full to partial sun and loamy/sandy/clay substrate. 

 

Black-Eyed Susan:

up close of a black eyed susan

 

Black-Eyed Susan (of the Rudbeckia family) is a hearty wildflower that can grow just about anywhere. They prefer full or part sun and are great pollinator plants. There are different varieties that can be annual, biennial, or perennial and choosing which one to plant will depend on what you're looking for for your garden.

 

Bee Balm:

red bee balm

 

Bee Balm is a perennial that is also known as wild bergamot. It comes in different colours and attracts lots of pollinators and birds. Bee Balm is part of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and has very aromatic leaves and flowers which are edible and are often used in teas. It prefers full sun and moist, well draining soil.

 

Butterfly Weed:

butterfly weed

 

Butterfly Weed (part of the milk weed family) is known for attracting Monarch Butterflies. Monarchs also lay their eggs on these plants and it's a food source for them while in their caterpillar stage. Butterfly Weed is a perennial that grows fairly tall (up to 3 feet) and is non-invasive, unlike common milkweed. It prefers dryer, well drained soil and full sun.

 

There are many different wildflower varieties that are native to Ontario. By planting native species, you'll have a beautiful, eye-catching display, be able to attract local wildlife to your outdoor space, help out pollinators and increase biodiversity in your area.

If you're working on a wildflower garden Kinsfolk Shop carries a variety of accessories, books, and tools (many of which are made in Canada). Whether you're planting a full garden, a container garden on your balcony, or working on a community plot, we have fun things in the shop including Bee Cups (for thirsty pollinators), terracotta garden markers, and ladybug castles for attracting beneficial ladybugs. 

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