Wisconsin in bloom

Wisconsin bloom calendar

Darker = more flowering sightings that month. Based on iNaturalist research-grade observations in Wisconsin 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.

• Asteraceae (22): Common yarrow, White snakeroot, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Creeping thistle, New England aster, Cutleaf coneflower and 14 more
• Rosaceae (20): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Black raspberry, Sulphur cinquefoil, Common ninebark, Downy serviceberry, Black chokeberry, Sweet cherry and 12 more
• Fabaceae (9): White clover, Red clover, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, White sweetclover, Leadplant, Pointed-leaved tick-trefoil, Sundial lupine and 1 more
• Viburnaceae (7): American black elderberry, Red-berried elder, Guelder-rose, Japanese snowball viburnum, Nannyberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Koreanspice viburnum
• Ranunculaceae (7): Red columbine, Wood anemone, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica, Sharp-lobed hepatica, Canada anemone
• Lamiaceae (6): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Wild bergamot, Common motherwort, Spotted horsemint, Russian sage
• Apiaceae (5): Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot), Common cowparsnip, Rattlesnake master, Golden alexanders, Wild parsnip
• Asparagaceae (4): Solomon's plume (false Solomon's seal), Canada mayflower, Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley, Siberian squill
• Brassicaceae (4): Garlic mustard, Dame's rocket, Cut-leaved toothwort, Hoary alyssum
• Oleaceae (4): Purple lilac, Border forsythia, Japanese tree lilac, Meyer lilac
• Apocynaceae (3): Common milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, Swamp milkweed
• Ericaceae (3): Ghost pipe, Catawba rhododendron, Satsuki azalea
• Caprifoliaceae (3): Common snowberry, Seven-son flower, Weigela
• Liliaceae (3): Bluebead lily, White fawnlily, Garden tulip
• Cornaceae (3): Canadian bunchberry, Cornelian cherry, Kousa dogwood

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 (10): Butterfly milkweed, Purple crownvetch, White sweetclover, Cutleaf coneflower, Common soapwort, Grey-headed coneflower, Common snowberry, Leadplant, New Jersey tea, Common ninebark
• High moisture use (suits wet spots) (15): Chicory, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Eastern skunk cabbage, Wild bergamot, Virginia bluebells, Common cowparsnip, Bird's-foot trefoil, Swamp milkweed, Canadian bunchberry, Marsh marigold, Winterberry, Red buckeye and 3 more
• Rapid growth rate (17): American pokeweed, Common selfheal, Red clover, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Dame's rocket, American black elderberry, White sweetclover, Black raspberry, Cutleaf coneflower, Common sunflower, Tall bellflower and 5 more

How we picked these flowers

We started from iNaturalist's research-grade sightings in Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin's official flowers, plus flowering shrubs and trees with at least 3 garden or 10 wild iNaturalist records in Wisconsin and popular garden flowers that iNaturalist users record growing in Wisconsin. Every flower needs a CC0 or CC BY photo.

Rare plant list: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03)
Invasive plant list: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted)