Flowers of Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Following are two lists of wildflowers found on Eastern Neck NWR. The BayScape list includes only plants found in our BayScape garden. The Wildflower list includes other flower species documented by refuge volunteer Lynne Smith. Neither list is necessarily complete and comprehensive, but should provide a good idea of the flowers most common to the refuge!
BayScape Flowers and Plants
Behind the Cape Chester House, by the BayView Butterfly Trail, volunteers, partners, and the refuge have created a BayScape Garden, consisting of native plants and a small water garden. It is highly attractive to birds, butterflies, frogs, and more. Visit our BayScape Page for more information about BayScaping. The following flowers and plants, grouped by growth zone within the BayScape, can be found in the BayScape Garden:
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Bloom Period |
Flower Color |
Benefit to Wildlife |
Woodland Edge, Transition Zone |
| Lonicera sempervirens |
Trumpet Honeysuckle |
April - July |
Coral |
Attracts hummingbirds/butterflies |
| Rudbeckia hirta |
Black-eyed Susan |
June - Oct |
Gold |
Seed heads eaten by birds |
| Ilex glabra |
Inkberry |
May - June |
Cream |
Excellent source of nectar, highly aromatic |
| Vaccinium vacillans |
Early Lowbush Blueberry |
April - May |
Greenish-red |
Dark blue fruit is good for wildlife |
| Myrica pensylvanica |
Northern Bayberry |
April - May |
|
Aromatic berries eaten by birds |
| Geranium maculatum |
Wild Geranium |
April - July |
Lavender |
Relatively long bloom time |
| Aquilegia canadensis |
Wild Columbine |
April - May |
Red |
Flowers attract hummingbirds |
Dry Meadow Zone |
| Sorhastrum nutans |
Indian Grass |
Aug - Sept |
|
Beautiful seed heads provide food for birds |
| Asclepias tuberosa |
Butterflyweed |
May - June |
Orange |
Flowers a source of nectar for butterflies |
| Monarda didyma |
Beebalm |
July - Sept |
Red or Purple |
Flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies |
| Coreopsis verticillata |
Tickseed |
June - July |
Yellow |
Tolerant of poor soil |
| Liatris spicata |
Gayfeather |
June - Aug |
Purple |
Flower attract butterflies |
| Baptisia australis |
Blue False Indigo |
May - June |
Blue |
Tolerant of poor and clay soil |
| Comptonia peregrina |
Sweet Fern |
April - May |
Yellow-green |
Leaves aromatic on hot days |
| Eupatorium colestinum |
Mist Flower |
Aug - Oct |
White-Laven. |
Suited for a wild garden - aggressive |
| Helianthus divaricatus |
Woodland Sunflower |
Aug - Oct |
Yellow |
Attracts butterflies |
Moisture Zone, Water Garden |
| Vernonia novebroacensis |
New York Ironweed |
Aug - Oct |
Purple |
Flowers attract butterflies |
| Solidago rugosa |
Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod |
Aug - Oct |
Yellow |
Flowers attract butterflies, seeds eaten by birds |
| Rhododendron atlanticum |
Coast Azalea |
April - May |
White, purple |
Very fragrant flower |
| Aster novae - angliae |
New England Aster |
Sept - Oct |
Violet |
Flowers attract butterflies, seed heads attract birds |
| Asclepias incarnata |
Swamp Milkweed |
May - June |
Pink/White |
Flowers attract butterflies, especially Monarch |
| Helianthus angustifolius |
Swamp Sunflower |
Aug - Oct |
Yellow |
Flowers attract butterflies, seed heads eaten by birds |
| Osmunda cinnamomea |
Cinnamon Fern |
|
|
Highly ornamental, tolerates full sun in moist areas |
| Iris versicolor |
Blue Flag |
May - June |
Blue |
Moisture tolerant |
| Saururus cernuus |
Lizard's Tail |
Summer |
White |
Shade tolerant |
| Lobelia cardinalis |
Cardinal Flower |
July - Sept |
Red |
Flowers source of nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies |
| Caltha palustris |
Marsh Marigold |
April - June |
Yellow |
Forms clumps, highly ornamental |
| Polystichum acrostichoides |
Christmas Fern |
|
Evergreen |
Forms fiddleheads |
| Eupatorium fistulosum |
Joe-Pye Weed |
July - Sept |
Pink |
Flowers attract butterflies |
| Hibiscus palustris |
Swamp Rose Mallow |
July - Sept |
Pink |
Aromatic, attracts butterflies |
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Other Flowers and Plants
The following flowers have been documented on the refuge by refuge volunteer, Lynne Smith. They are listed alphabetically by common name. While there are likely many others, these are some of the most common and readily found flowers on the refuge:
Common Name |
Latin Name |
Bloom Time |
Location on Refuge |
| Asiatic Day Flower |
Commelina communis |
June-Oct. |
Fields, Roadside |
| Bloodroot |
Sanguinaria canadenis |
Mar.-Apr. |
Wildlfe Trail |
| Blue-eyed Grass |
Sissyrinchium augustifolium |
May-June |
Roadsides |
| Bramble, Blackberry |
Rubus spp. |
June-July |
Roadsides, Trails |
| Butter and Eggs |
Linaria vulgaris |
June-Sept. |
Waste Areas |
| Buttercup, Common |
Ranunculis spp.#60 |
July |
Fields, Universal |
| ButterflyWeed |
Asclepias tuberosa |
late summer |
Fields, Bayscapes |
| Cardinal Flower |
Lobelia cardinalis |
Aug.-Sept. |
Bayscapes Garden |
| Cattail, Common |
Typha latifolia |
Summer |
Certain Ponds |
| Cattail, Narrow-leaved |
Typa augustifolia |
Summer |
Brackish Marshes |
| Chicory |
Cichorium intybus |
Aug.-Sept. |
Fields, Roadside |
| Clover, Rabbit-foot |
Trifolium arvense |
Spring, Summer |
Fields |
| Clover, Red |
Trifolium pratense |
Spring, Summer |
Fields |
| Clover, White |
Trifolium repens |
Spring, Summer |
Fields |
| Cranefly Orchid |
Tripularia discolor |
August |
Wildlfe Trail |
| Cranesbill, Dove's Foot |
Geranium molle |
Aug-Sept. |
Fields, B.B. Trail |
| Cranesbill, Small Flowered |
Geranium pussilum |
Apr-May |
Waste Areas |
| Daisy, Common (Ox-Eye) |
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum |
Apr-May |
Waste Areas |
| Dandelion, Common |
Taraxacum officinale |
Aug-Sept. |
Meadows |
| Dandelion, Fall |
Leontodon autumnalis |
Spring |
Universal |
| Day Lily |
Hemerocallis fulva |
Summer, Fall |
Lodge |
| Dock |
|
May-June |
Wildlfe Trail |
| Fleabane, Salt Marsh |
Pluchea purpurascens |
Summer |
Fields, Meadows |
| Gerardia, Purple |
Gerardia purpurea |
Aug-Sept. |
Marshes, Ditches |
| Goldenrod |
Solidago spp. |
Aug-Sept. |
Boxes' Point Trail |
| Field Bindweed |
Convolvulus arvensis |
|
Fields, Wasteplaces |
| Hedge Bindweed |
Convolvulus sepium |
Sept. |
Universal |
| Honeysuckle, American Fly |
Lonicera canadensis |
June-July |
Boardwalk, Fields |
| Jack-in-the-Pulpit |
Arisaema triphyllum |
Apr-May |
Wildlfe Trail |
| Touch-me-not (spotted) |
Impatiens capensis |
Aug-Sept. |
Woodland Trails |
| Touch-me-not (pale) |
Impatiens pallida |
Aug-Sept. |
Woodland Trails |
| Joe Pye Weed |
Eupatorium purpureium |
Jul-Aug |
Fields, hedgerows |
| Knot-grass, lady's thumb |
Polygonum persicaria |
Summer |
Fields, Roadsides |
| Mallow, Mush |
Malva moschata |
June |
Office Road Area |
| May-apple, Common |
Podphyllum peltatum |
April |
Wildlife Trail |
| Meadow Beauty |
|
July |
Moist Soil Area |
| Meadow Sweet |
Spiraea spp. |
July-Aug |
Moist Soil Area |
| Milkweed, Common |
Asclepias syriaca |
June-Aug |
Meadows, Boxes' Pt |
| Milkweed, Swamp |
Asclepias incarnata |
Summer |
Bayscapes Garden |
| Mistflower |
Eupatorium coelestinum |
Sept. |
Fields, Moist Soil |
| Mullein, Common |
Verbascum thapsus |
July-Aug |
Fields, G.L. Area |
| Mustard, Field |
Brassica rapa |
Summer |
Cultivated Fields |
| Partridgeberry |
Mitchella repens |
April |
Wildlife Trail |
| Partidge-pea, Sensitive plant |
Cassia fasiculata |
Summer |
Fields |
| Pokeweed, Pokeberry |
Phytolacca americana |
July-Sept. |
Universal |
| Potato Vine, Wild |
Iopomea pandurata |
July-Aug. |
Cultivated Fields |
| Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Carrot |
Daucus carota |
June-July |
Fields |
| Rose, Wild |
Rosa spp. |
May-June |
Fields, Roadsides |
| Rosemallow, Crimson-eyed |
Hisbiscus palustris |
Aug-Sept. |
Marshes,Tubby Cove |
| Rosemallow, Swamp |
Hisbiscus palustris |
Aug-Sept. |
Marshes,Tubby Cove |
| Scarlet Pimpernel |
Anagallis arvensis |
Summer |
Waste Places, Fields |
| Smartweed, Common |
Polygonum hydropiper |
Summer, Fall |
Moist Areas |
| Strawberry, Indian |
Duchesnea indica |
Apr-July |
Waste Areas, Roads |
| Sunflower, Tickseed |
Coreopsis major |
Aug-Sept. |
Moist Soil, Bayscape |
| Thistle, Canada |
Cirsium arvense |
Summer |
Field, Roadsides |
| Trumpet Creeper, Vine |
Campsis radicans |
Jul-Aug |
Ingleside, Roadsides |
| Venus Looking-Glass |
Specularia perfoliata |
Summer |
Duck Inn Trail |
| Vetch, Common |
|
May-Sept |
Fields |
| Violet, Common Blue |
Viola papilionacea |
Apr-May |
Wildlife Trail, Woods |
| Violet, Marsh Blue |
Viola cucullata |
Apr-May |
Wildlife Trail |
| Wood-Sorrel, Violet |
Oxalis violacea |
May |
Wildlife Trail |
| Wood-Sorrel, Common Yellow |
Oxalis |
May-June |
Fields, Universal |
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