Bob Henrickson's Top 12 Wildflowers   
Where to See Wildflowers
Wildflower Botanical Prints
Web Guide to Nebraska Wildflowers
Wildflower Week Proclamation

Wildflower Week 2009, May 30-June 7, 2009

(Listed below are Wildflower events from May 31-June 8 of 2008)

May 31-June 8 in Crete. Self-guided tours on the walking trail of Crete Area Medical Center from 8am-5pm. 2910 Betten Dr., 402/826-2102

May 31-June 8 in Harrison. Guided walks at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument at 10 and 2 daily, weather & staff permitting. Trails have plant ID and an herbarium in visitor center. 301 River Road, 308/668-2211

May 31 in Omaha. "Wild about Wildflowers" family workshop at Lauritzen Gardens 10-11:30am. Hike, identify wildflowers, create a take-along guide. For ages 5-12 accompanied by adult; register by May 24. 100 Bancroft St. , 402/346-4002x201

June 1 in Lincoln. Wildflower Walks at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center from 10:30-12 and 1-2:30 led by UNL's Kay Kottas. Children under 12 ($4) w/ adult ($6). Preregister by May 31. 11700 SW 100 St., 402/797-2301 

June 2-8 in Clarkson. Wildflower Sale at Gardenland, Bluebird Nursery retail center . M-F 8-5; Sat. 8-4 and Sun. 1-5. 6th & Linden, 402/892-3442

June 3 in Hampton. Wildflower hike at 6pm at Marie Ratzlaff Prairie Preserve, 30-acre virgin tallgrass prairie & 10-acre restoration. 6 mi. south of I-80 exit 338 to Hampton, 402/694-5535 

June 3 in Lincoln. UNL Botanical Gardens & Arboretum is hosting a tour of Love Library campus gardens 6-6:45pm before Jazz in June.

June 3 in Omaha. Twilight Tuesdays at Lauritzen Gardens, with grounds, café and gift shop open until 8pm. 100 Bancroft St., 402/346-4002x201

June 4 in Albion. Wildflower hike at 6pm at Olson Nature Preserve, 112-acre natural area with sandhills prairie, wetlands, oak forest and Beaver Creek, perennial spring-fed stream out of the Sandhills. 10 mi. N of Albion (sign at Hwy 14 ct rd turnoff), 402/694-5535 

June 7 in Bellevue. Join naturalist Norm Toenjes at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center at 1 pm as he explores trails, looking for numerous species of wildflowers. 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N, 402/731-3140

June 7 in Lincoln. "Wildflower Wonders." Guided walks to see what's blooming in the Pioneers Park Nature Center gardens and prairies. Learn more about native plants for your own garden. (also July 12, Aug. 16 & Sept. 20). 3201 S. Coddington, 402/441-8708 

June 7 near Marquette. Wildflower hike at 6pm at Griffith Prairie and Farm, outstanding 250-acre loess bluff prairie on Platte River. 4 mi. W of Marquette, 9 mi. N of Aurora, 402/694-5535

June 7 in Omaha . "Landscaping with Roses" 1-2:30 and "Special Plant Walk: Romantic Roses" 2:30-3:30pm at Lauritzen Gardens. At 1pm, learn how to use roses in landscape and take a walk thru the rose plantings. At 2:30, learn different types of roses, maintenance techniques, how to cut and bring indoors.

June 7 in Lincoln. Tour, learn about using wildflowers and native plants in the landscape, and plants on sale at Nebraska Statewide Arboretum greenhouses, north end of UNL East Campus, from 9-1pm. 38th & Huntington, 402/472-2971 

June 7 in Lincoln. "Natives in the Landscape" Garden Walk through plantings at Finke Gardens that integrate natives in the cultivated landscape. Wildflowers & natives on sale all week, with displays & design suggestions. 500 N. 66, 402/466-1995

June 8 in Omaha. Omaha Rose Society's Spring Rose Show at Lauritzen Gardens from 10am-4pm. 100 Bancroft St., 402/346-4002x201

June 8 in Bellevue. Join naturalist Mary Lou Alfieri on a walk at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center from 2-3:30pm.1111 Bellevue Blvd. N, 402/731-3140 


Bob's Top Twelve Wildflowers
       Beardtongue, Penstemon grandiflorus. There are over 200 species of Penstemon, with nearly 24 native to the Great Plains. Ours are upright, multi-stemmed perennials, growing from 2-3 feet tall. Flowers are shaped like snapdragons, in shades of pink, red, blue, purple or white, arranged in upright spikes. Prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Look great planted in masses.
       Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta. Bright golden yellow daisies bloom mid-summer into autumn. Deep brown center disks are striking through winter. Grows in full sun or partial shade in soil that is well-drained but not dry.
       Compass plant, Silphium laciniatum. This classic prairie plant is a relative of the sunflowers, with many large bright yellow flowers in late summer. The large 15" coarse, oak-like leaves align themselves in a north-south direction, then it sends up a 4-7' flowering stalk in summer. Also called "century plant" because of its ability to survive for decades. Best for larger gardens where the prairie sky is your background. Can grow to 3' wide and 7' high.
       Desert globemallow, Sphaeralcea coccinea. Hardy, low-growing native groundcover with coral red flowers throughout the summer. Foliage is silvery gray and deeply cut. Prefers dry site once established.
       Leadplant, Amorpha canescens. A Nebraska native that attracts butterflies. It has showy blue-purple flowers with gold anthers that rise above silvery green foliage. Prefers well-drained soil in full sun, but also tolerates poor, dry soil. Grows 2' high and wide.
       Plains coreopsis,Coreopsis tinctoria. A native annual that flowers from June to September. Showy yellow flowers with red centers and brown center disks are produced on fairly large branched plants. Grows from 1-3' tall and prefers dry prairies or open woodlands.
       Prairie coneflower, Echinacea pallida. Showy flowerheads have pale pink drooping petals around a dark, dome-shaped disk. Grows 1-3' tall in moist to dry upland prairies. Stout, unranched stems are covered with coarse, stiff hairs. Seedheads remain through winter.
       Prairie larkspur, Delphinium virescens. Native perennial of moist, tallgrass prairies that grows to 3' tall. Distinctive flowers in May-June have five white petal-like sepals with purplish-brown spot and a long spur.
       Prairie phlox, Phlox pilosa. Native perennial with rounded clusters of deep pink to magenta flowers blooms May-July. Grows from 1-2' tall in dry to moist, well-drained prairies. Narrow leaves can be up to 4" long.
       Purple poppy mallow, Callirhoe involucrata. This tough native is often grown as a groundcover or allowed to weave among taller perennials. Its stems lie close to the ground, but do not root, growing out to 4’ each year from a bulb-like corm that gets as big as a turnip. Bright purple cup-shaped flowers bloom profusely in early summer among the attractive, cut-leaf foliage.
       Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohioensis. Clump-forming, multi-stemmed perennials with arching, grass-like leaves. Produce showy clusters of flowers in late spring and early summer. Colors range from various shades of blue to pink, rose, purple and white. Spiderworts native to the Great Plains can tolerate full sun and dry conditions.
       Yellow coneflower, Ratibida columnifera. This bushy 2' tall native prairie plant is extremely drought-tolerant. In late summer the top of the plant is covered with flowers of bright yellow petals drooping around a central cone. Prefers a hot, sunny site and well-drained soils.

Nebraska Wildflower Week Proclamation, signed by Governor Dave Heineman...
"WHEREAS, prairies, woodlands and other natural plant communities are essential to the ecological health of Nebraska , and give the land its great beauty and unique character, and
WHEREAS, Nebraska is rich in wildflowers, grasses, trees and other native plants with beauty and hardiness that commends their use for landscaping homes, businesses and community green space.
NOW, THEREFORE, I Dave Heineman, Governor of the State of Nebraska , DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the first week of June, as Nebraska Wildflower Week, and I do hereby urge all citizens to participate in events and activities during Nebraska Wildflower Week that foster understanding, enjoyment and conservation of Nebraska 's wildflowers and other native plants. "
        Inspired by a similar national event, the aim of Nebraska Wildflower Week is to “foster understanding, enjoyment and conservation of Nebraska’s wildflowers and other native plants.” The event is observed in early June, when Nebraska’s prairies and gardens are typically at their prime. In 2007, it will be celebrated June 2-10. For information on how to participate in Nebraska Wildflower Week, contact Bob Henrickson at 402/472-7855 or rhenrickson2@unl.edu.

Where to See Wildflowers in Nebraska
Nebraska 's Top Ten Wildflower Viewing Roadways
Nebraska Department of Roads "Roadside Wildflowers"
1—Highway 2 from Grand Island to Alliance : look for cowboy's delight, wild begonia, shell leaf penstemon, prairie spiderwort
2—Highway 20 from From Valentine to Chadron
3—Highway 83 from North Platte to McCook
4—Highway 83 from North Platte to Valentine
5—Highway 6 from Imperial to McCook
6—Highway 8 from Falls City to Fairbury
7—Highway 11 from Scotia through Burwell to Butte in Boyd County
8—Highway 61 from Ogallala to Merriman
9—Highway 71 from Gering to Crawford
10—Highway 12 from Ponca to Valentine; for diversity
Other great roadways for wildflower viewing:
Highway 87 from Alliance to Hay Springs
Highway 29 from Mitchell to Harrison
Highway 92 from Oshkosh to Gering
Highway 34 from Benkelman to McCook
Highway 275 from Clearwater to O'Neill

Parks and Public Properties for Wildflower Viewing
AUD = Audubon Society
NGPC = Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
PPRI = Prairie Plains Resource Institute
TNC = The Nature Conservancy
WAC = Wachiska

Upland Deciduous Forest—Natural Areas
Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue (NGPC), 1111 N. Bellevue Blvd. in Bellevue
Indian Cave State Park in Richardson County (NGPC), 4 miles east of Barada
Mahoney State Park (NGPC), 3 miles east of Ashland in SE Nebraska
Platte River State Park (NGPC), 2.5 miles east of Louisville in SE Nebraska
Ponca State Park near Ponca (NGPC), 2 miles north of Ponca
Rulo Bluffs Preserve (TNC) in Richardson County
Schramm Park State Recreation Area (NGPC), 9 miles south of Gretna
Smith Falls State Park (NGPC), 12 miles east of Valentine in the Sandhills
Native Plant Displays/Gardens
Governor Furnas Arboretum in Brownville
Itha T. Krumme Memorial Arboretum in Falls City
Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha