West Virginia in bloom

West Virginia bloom calendar

Darker = more flowering sightings that month. Based on iNaturalist research-grade observations in West Virginia marked “Flowering,” as of October 17–23, 2026. Garden flowers have few records because research-grade data leaves out planted ones.

Families on this list

The plant families with the most flowers on this list, from iNaturalist taxonomy. Within each family, the most-observed flowers come first.

• Rosaceae (17): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Wineberry, White meadowsweet, Purple-flowered raspberry, Common ninebark and 9 more
• Asteraceae (9): Common yarrow, White snakeroot, Chicory, Common dandelion, Wingstem, Common sunflower, Colt's-foot, Purple coneflower and 1 more
• Ericaceae (9): Ghost pipe, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Trailing arbutus (mayflower), Sourwood, Catawba rhododendron, Japanese andromeda and 1 more
• Fabaceae (7): White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Chinese bushclover, American yellowwood
• Lamiaceae (7): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, Lyreleaf sage, Wild basil, Scarlet beebalm, Russian sage
• Caprifoliaceae (5): Amur honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, Wild teasel, Weigela, Glossy abelia
• Viburnaceae (5): American black elderberry, Japanese snowball viburnum, Nannyberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Koreanspice viburnum
• Ranunculaceae (5): Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Virgin's bower, Dwarf larkspur
• Aquifoliaceae (4): American holly, Winterberry, Inkberry, Japanese holly
• Orchidaceae (4): Pink lady's slipper, Crane-fly orchid, Downy rattlesnake plantain, Putty root
• Campanulaceae (4): Cardinal flower, Great blue lobelia, Tall bellflower, Indian tobacco
• Melanthiaceae (4): Large white trillium, Red trillium, Painted trillium, Green false hellebore
• Oleaceae (4): Purple lilac, Border forsythia, Japanese tree lilac, Meyer lilac
• Apocynaceae (3): Common milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, Lesser periwinkle
• Brassicaceae (3): Garlic mustard, Dame's rocket, Cut-leaved toothwort

Shortlists by growing conditions

Flowers on this list whose USDA PLANTS characteristics data gives the rating shown. USDA only rates some species, so these lists are not complete.

• High drought tolerance (7): Eastern redbud, Butterfly milkweed, Mountain laurel, Purple crownvetch, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), New Jersey tea, Common ninebark
• High moisture use (suits wet spots) (13): Chicory, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Eastern skunk cabbage, Fireweed, Virginia bluebells, Bird's-foot trefoil, Southern magnolia, Winterberry, Red buckeye, Golden ragwort, Inkberry, Swamp dewberry and 1 more
• Rapid growth rate (18): American pokeweed, Common selfheal, Red clover, Chicory, Japanese honeysuckle, Common dandelion, Dame's rocket, American black elderberry, Black cherry, Fireweed, Blue phlox, Common sunflower and 6 more

How we picked these flowers

We started from iNaturalist's research-grade sightings in West Virginia, most-observed first, left out grasses, sedges, trees and other plants with tiny or wind-pollinated flowers (plus poison ivy), kept at most three species per genus, and added West Virginia's official flowers, plus flowering shrubs and trees with at least 3 garden or 10 wild iNaturalist records in West Virginia and popular garden flowers that iNaturalist users record growing in West Virginia. Every flower needs a CC0 or CC BY photo.

Rare plant list: West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead.
Invasive plant list: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5)