Wildflowers
in
North & South CarolinaThe United States is blessed with wildflowers. And Carolina probably has more than our fair share. To bring the wildflowers more into easy public view, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Roadside Environment Unit continually seeds many of the North Carolina highways (especialy the Interstate Highway medians and interchange areas) with appropriate species of wildflowers. When the blooms of a planting are gone, the NCDOT plants another and allows us to have continual blooms (year round in most of the state).
While many tourists and residents have noticed these plantings, few realize that the principle source of funding for this project comes from revenue realized through the sale of personalized ('vanity') license plates. The rest ceoms from direct contributions from individuals and corporations. If you would like to help this program, please send your check to:
Wildflower Program
Roadside Environment Unit
NCDOT
P.O.Box 29518
Raleigh NC 27626By the way, you may be happy to know that, on your request, they will mail you a 36 page (full color) booklet describing many of these flowers (listed both by botanical and common names).
Many of the seeds, from which these beautiful flowers grow, are purchased from Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg TX. Texas A&M, through an agreement with Wildseed Farms, has a website displaying information about many species of wildflowers. Because their website is copyrighted (as are most websites including ours) we have provided links to the wildflowers which are (or have been) purchased by NCDOT for the Roadside Environment Program.
- Bachelor's Button/Cornflower/Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus (Asteraceae)- Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta (Asteraceae)- Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa (Asclepiadaceae)- California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae)- Catchfly
Silene armeria (Caryophyllaceae)- Chicory
Cichorium intybus (Asteraceae)- Cornflower/Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus (Asteraceae)- Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus (Asteraceae)- Dame's Rocket
Hesperis matronalis (Brassicaceae)- Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata (Asteraceae)- Drummond Phlox
Phlox drummondii (Polemoniaceae)- Fire Wheel/Indian Blanket
Gaillardia pulchella (Asteraceae)- Flanders Poppy/Red Corn Poppy
Papaver rhoeas (Papveraceae)- Indian Blanket/Fire Wheel
Gaillardia pulchella (Asteraceae)- Lemon Mint/Purple Horse Mint
Monarda citriodora (Lamiaceae)- New England Aster
Aster novae-angliae (Asteraceae)- Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae)- Purple Horse Mint/Lemon Mint
Monarda citriodora (Lamiaceae)- Red Corn Poppy/Flanders Poppy
Papaver rhoeas (Papveraceae)- Scarlet Sage
Salvia coccinea (Lamiaceae)- Spurred Snapdragon/Toadflax
Linaria maroccana (Scrophulariaceae)- Toadflax/Spurred Snapdragon
Linaria maroccana (Scrophulariaceae)