10 Southeastern Wildflowers to Spot this Summer

From sunny meadows to woodland edges, summer in the Southeastern United States bursts into color with a wide variety of native wildflowers. Below are some favorite flowers you might spot during these warmer months: 

1. Black-eyed Susan 

What they look like: Bright golden yellow petals and a dark brown center

Where to find them: Open fields, meadows, and roadsides 

When they bloom: June through September 

2. Butterfly Weed 

What they look like: Bright orange clusters 

Where to find them: Open fields, meadows, prairies, roadsides, sandy or rocky soils 

When they bloom: April through September 

3. Tickseed 

What they look like: Yellow, daisy-like flowers 

Where to find them: Fields, prairies, glades, and roadsides 

When they bloom: Early summer to fall 

4. Ironweed

What they look like: Clusters of vivd purple flowers in shades from magenta to dark purple

Where to find them: Open woodlands, open fields and pastures, and along streams and roadsides 

When they bloom: July through September 

5. Joe-Pye Weed

What they look like: Large, round clusters of pink or purple flowers

Where to find them: Thickets, woodlands, marshes, and along pond edges 

When they bloom: July through September 

6. Passionflower (Maypop)

What they look like: White, pink, and deep purple with colored bracts

Where to find them: In thickets, pastures, roadsides, and near riverbanks and railroads

When they bloom: July through September 

7. Purple Coneflower 

What they look like: Drooping lavender petals with a purplish-brown, spiny center

Where to find them: Moist prairies, meadows, and open woods

 When they bloom: Mid- to late-summer

8. Cardinal Flower

What they look like: Bright, deep red tubular flowers on tall spikes

Where to find them: Along streambanks, in wet meadows, and in moist woodlands

When they bloom: July through September

9. Trumpet Creeper

What they look like: Orange-red trumpet-shaped flowers on a vine 

Where to find them: Climbing trees or fences

When they bloom: June to September

10. Wild Bergamot

What they look like: Lavender-pink flowers

Where to find them: Dry prairies, rocky woods, unplanted fields, along roads and railroads

When they bloom: June through September

These wildflowers do more than just add beauty to the Southern summer — they also support local pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. So the next time you’re out for a walk, see how many of these blooms you can spot!