What native wildflowers bloom in June? Well, a lot of them. June is considered to be the best month for native wildflowers. It is also Native Plant Month in Kansas, of the governor remembers to sign the proclamation anyways. There are hundreds of species of natives which begin to bloom in June, and many of them keep blooming afterwards.
Why is June such a great month for native wildflowers? Well, because temperatures have typically stabilized, moisture has settled (less storms), and degree days are just right for certain plants to get blooming.
What are degree days? Degree days are measures of how cold or warm a location is. A degree day compares the mean (the average of the high and low) outdoor temperatures recorded for a location to a standard temperature, usually 65° Fahrenheit (F) in the United States. The more extreme the outside temperature, the higher the number of degree days.
This all means that there is a lot of things blooming. And not just in the wild, but in the garden as well. My garden is at its peak with the amount of new blooms, although butterfly peak is usually in August or September. But there are a lot of other pollinators out, especially moths and bees.
What Native Wildflowers are Starting to Bloom in June?
The following lists of native wildflowers contains 40 species or nativars of plants. I have separated them into 2 categories, and also subcategories based on flower color. All of them will perform well in the right place, within the Midwest and Central Great Plains regions. Outside of our regions, many of you have probably grown a lot of these flowers and are impressed as much as I am.
SUN LOVING WILDFLOWERS
There are 31 species or nativars on this list, and it is broken down by flower color, to make reading easier. Enjoy!
Pink Flowered Natives
Allium Millenium – Allium cultivar
One of my all-time favorite plants is the ornamental onion. And I have used Milennium throughout the sunnier spots of my Cottage Garden, as well as around beds in the backyard. I mainly use it as a border plant, edging the beds. It has a long bloom time and grows in easily dividable clumps. Milennium grows 1 foot tall and wide, and attracts a ton of bees, butterflies, wasps, moths, and flies.
Purple Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea
I know that there are a lot of coneflower cultivars out there, and many of them are great, but they change so much from year to year that I prefer to stick with the native species. It seems, at least in my gardens, to be one of the favorite nectaring sites for larger butterflies, including the giant swallowtail and eastern tiger swallowtail. A lot of bees and other insects also visit the flowers. They grow 2 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide per plant. But I like to have masses of them.
Blazingstar Kobold – Liatris cultivar
I have used these for many years, because they are the first of the blazingstars to bloom in our area. Although not actually native to the Central Great Plains, they do grow well here. Shorter than most of the other species, this cultivar grows 18 inches tall by 12 inches wide. It attracts bees, butterflies, and wasps. And it hosts a few moth species.
Wild Bergamot – Monarda fistulosa
Another species of bee balm. Yes, and this one lasts a bit longer than Bradbury’s, but not too much. All of the bee balms are short on bloom times. But they make up for it in pollinator prowess. Lots of bumblebees, butterflies, and other insects visit these flowers. They grow 1 to 4 feet tall and can form large colonies, as much as 10 feet in diameter. A member of the Mint Family, the leaves and flowers can be used in tea.
Orange/Red Flowered Native Wildflowers
Butterfly Milkweed – Asclepias tuberosa
One of Grimm’s Gardens best selling plants of all time, butterfly milkweed is a great addition to almost any garden. And especially those with full sun and dry conditions. I have planted many of these in my Sunny Cottage Garden, Meadow Garden, and Monarch Waystation. Besides being a favorite of the Monarch butterfly, lots of other insects use the plant including bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, and flies. It grows 12 to 24 inches tall and 16 to 36 inches wide in a clump.
Coreopsis Crazy Cayenne – Coreopsis verticillata cultivar
When this cultivar came out a few years ago, I was reluctant to add it to my garden because we had a crop failure of it at the nursery. But in the fall of 2020 I took home a damaged plant, and have been very happy with it. Not only has it exceeded expectations, but it has grown and filled in a space 2 feet wide and 16 inches tall. The flowers are reddish orange, and visited by bees mainly.
Mexican Hat – Ratibida columnifera
This a floriferous plant, often blooming well past its normal bloom times, and into fall. The flowers can be either orange or red, or a combination of both. In my garden it reseeds itself easily, and blooms in a different spot each year. The long flowers are visited by bees, beetles, and butterflies. Mexican hat grows 1 to 2 feet tall and wide.
Michigan Lily – Lilium michagense
If you are planning on having lilies in your garden, be sure to add this one to the list. Even though it is not as long blooming as some other lilies, the color is awesome. When you see those curved back petals exposing the center of the flower, you become quite intrigued. As for native wildflowers, it is one of the prettiest. It grows 2 to 6 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide in small clumps.
Purple Flowering Natives
Aromatic Aster – Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Perhaps one of the longest blooming native wildflowers, aromatic aster typically starts in July or August, but in cooler summers will begin to bloom in June. And it keeps blooming until December in Northeast Kansas! Besides great bloom time, this plat boasts bright purple flowers which attract bees, flies, butterflies, moths, and wasps. It grows 2 to 4 feet tall and wide.
Woolly Verbena – Verbena stricta
I know where a specimen of this plant is that is over 35 years old. At my mom’s, growing in a crack in the driveway, it has never been mowed or sprayed. And it blooms reliably every year. It was one of the first native plants I learned about. Woolly verbena grows 3 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide in a clump. The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies. A couple of moths use it for a host plant.
Prairie Petunia – Ruellia humilis
A great plant for the meadow, or mixed into an alternative lawn, prairie petunia has soft, lavender colored flowers which are visited by bees, flies, hummingbird and sphinx moths, and hummingbirds. The common buckeye butterfly will sometimes use it as a host plant. It grows 8 to 12 inches tall and wide.
Purple Prairie Clover – Dalea purpurea
It really should be called purple bee clover, for all the bees and bumblebees it attracts. But this purple flowering native does well in the garden, though it can have a short blooming time, just 3 to 6 weeks. At least 2 butterflies, and some moths use it as a host plant. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.
White Flowering Native Wildflowers
Whorled Milkweed – Asclepias verticillata
Never put this milkweed into a bed by itself, unless you want to have it take over. I like to add it to an established meadow or prairie garden, where competition from grasses and other forbs will keep it in check. Depending on moisture, it can grow 1 to 4 feet tall and it forms large colonies. The flowers are pure white and visited by a variety of bees, butterflies, wasps, and beetles. Monarchs and a few moths do use it as a host plant.
Milkweed Ice Ballet – Asclepias incarnata cultivar
This cultivar is a subspecies of our native swamp milkweed, coming from Minnesota. Instead of tall plants with pink flowers, it has short plants with white flowers. Dainty though they are, this plant is tough and durable, though not as long lived as other milkweeds. In my gardens it grew 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Monarchs use it as a host plant. And bees, wasps, butterflies, and flies all go for the flowers.
White Wild Indigo – Baptisia alba
I was very excited to find several of these later blooming wild indigos in a pasture across the road from my in-laws in Atchison County, KS. But it is not rare, and I see it often across the Central Great Plains region in June. It is the tallest of the baptisias, and it probably lends its height to larger baptisia cultivars like Pink Lemonade. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and beetles. And the plant is a host for several skippers, butterflies, and moths. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
Blazingstar Alba – Liatris spicata cultivar
This is the companion plant to Kobold blazingstar in my garden. I plant them side by side to get the contrast in color of white and pink. It grows a little taller than Kobold, 12 to 24 inches, and 12 inches wide. Like all the blazingstars, it attracts lots of bees, butterflies, flies, and wasps.
Slender Mountain Mint – Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
If you have read any of my other posts on natives, you will know that I love the mountain mints. Not only do they attract a lot of pollinators, but they are also edible and can be used for making mint tea. In the garden, they tend to spread much slower than other mints, making them perfect for the meadow, cottage garden, or vegetable garden. Slender mountain mint grows 1 to 2 feet tall and slowly forms a small colony.
Pale Indian Plantain – Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
An unusual plant, and little known outside of native plant societies, it has unique blooms which attract bees, butterflies, and beetles. The leaves are shaped somewhat like a goose’s foot, and the plant grows 3 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. At least 1 moth species uses it as a host plant.
White Wandflower – Stenosiphon linifolius
Another little known native wildflower, this plant is striking in the prairies of the Smoky Hills of Kansas in June and July. The white wands of blooms wave in the Kansas winds. Although it grows in dry locations, in extreme drought it will drop its leaves and photosynthesize through the stems. It grows 3 to 9 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The flowers attract lots of bees and butterflies.
Tuberous Indian Plantain – Arnoglossum plantagineum
The close relative of the above Pale Indian plantain, this plant has a rosette of leaves at the base, looking very much like hosts until the flower spike emerges. Similar to the other species, it hosts a moth and the flowers attract bees, butterflies, and wasps. It grows 2 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.
Yellow Blooming Natives
Milkweed Hello Yellow – Asclepias tuberosa cultivar
A special selection of butterfly milkweed, the flowers a yellow-orange, contrasting well with the reddish orange of the species. It seems to attract just as many bees, butterflies, wasps, and beetles as the species, and monarchs use it as a host plant. It grows 2 feet tall and wide.
Coreopsis Creme Brulee – Coreopsis verticillata cultivar
This has been and continues to be one of my favorite coreopsis cultivars. The specimen in my Sunny Cottage Garden has been steadily growing and thriving since 2016, when I planted it. The blooms do not last very long, just 3 to 5 weeks, but while blooming they attract bees and butterflies. It grows 16 to 22 inches tall and wide.
Coreopsis Jethro Tull – Coreopsis hybrid
Similar more to the species of bigflower coreopsis, Jethro Tull has quilled flowers which are unique. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and flies mainly. It fits neatly into the garden and keeps blooming for several weeks, more than most of the other coreopsis. It grows 18 inches tall and wide.
Coreopsis Zagreb – Coreopsis verticillata cultivar
This is my most recommend coreopsis for landscapes and gardens. Besides its compact and tidy habit, it blooms longer than any other coreopsis, and it is super easy to maintain. It can be grown as a border plant, edging the beds, or mixed into the cottage or vegetable garden. It grows 18 inches tall and forms a small colony. The flowers attract bees and butterflies.
Plains Coreopsis – Coreopsis palmata
The last coreopsis on this list, plains coreopsis, also known as finger coreopsis, grows 2 feet tall in a spreading colony. It blooms shorter than most of the other coreopsis; just 2 to 4 weeks. But the cheery yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies. A couple of moths use the plant as a host for their larvae.
Ozark Coneflower – Echinacea paradoxa
Before we moved into our current house, I had a garden around the rental we lived at in Powhattan, KS. I must have planted Ozark coneflower in it, though I never knew when or where I got it. But it was a pleasant surprise. Watch out though, rabbits love this plant. The flowers are large and attract several moths, butterflies, bees, wasps, and flies. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide.
False Sunflower – Heliopsis helianthoides
I loved this plant when I first met it in the Kansas State University Gardens when I was going to college in the early 2000s. The flowers and petals stay on the plant after flowering is over, and they turn shades of yellow and bronze, giving it a still blooming look. flowers persist until fall, and it continues to bloom for several weeks, if not months. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and flies mainly. And a few moths use it as a host plant. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.
Greyhead Coneflower – Ratibida pinnata
This was one of my favorite native wildflowers to photograph during my internship in Minnesota in 2004. Now, it adorns my Sunny Cottage Garden and Meadow Garden with its tall, boisterous blooms. The flowers attract bees and butterflies, while a few moths use it as a host plant. It grows 3 to 5 feet tall by 2 feet wide in a clump. But it reseeds easily, so watch where you put it.
Giant Coneflower – Rudbeckia maxima
I only recently found out about this large member of the Rudbeckia clan, and added it to my Meadow Garden in 2018. The large silvery leaves are one the best features of the plant, while the blooms rise up on 4 to 5 foot tall stems. Flowers are short lived, just 2 to 3 weeks, but the leaves are the stars of the show. It grows 4 feet wide.
Compassplant – Silphium laciniatum
Place this plant correctly! I would recommend this plant, as long as you wait, and plant it in an established (3 year old at least) prairie or meadow. It does need time to establish before flowering, sometimes as mush as 3 years itself. But then the beautiful blooms rise above the lacy cut foliage. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies.
Missouri Coneflower – Rudbeckia missouriensis
Before American Gold Rush came on the scene, this was our go to black-eyed Susan for landscapes. Not only does it have a longer bloom time than Goldstrum, it is disease resistant. In the landscape it does flop a little, but it does well in a cottage or meadow garden setting. It grows 18 inches tall and wide and it visited by a number of pollinators including bees and butterflies.
SHADE OR WETLAND LOVING NATIVE WILDFLOWERS
While there are fewer species here than in the above list, it does not surprise me. As it gets hotter in the summer months, there are less things blooming in the dense shade of the woodlands. Water species continue, as long as they are close enough to the moisture they desire.
Marsh Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata
One of the prettiest of the milkweeds, marsh or swamp milkweed prefers a wet spot in the landscape. It can handle some drought, as long as it is not prolonged. The flowers are bright pink to dark pink, and attract bees, butterflies, wasps, and beetles. It is a host plant for monarchs and a few moths. Marsh milkweed flowers are fragrant and the plant grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide.
Louisiana Iris Black Gamecock – Iris cultivar
I found this iris at a plant sale in central Kansas and had to add it too my gardens. Because I do not have any wetlands, I put it in a low spot in my woodland border, where it gets water when it rains and some shade. It has performed magnificently. The plant gets larger each season, and the flowers are gorgeous. It grows 3 feet tall and slowly spreads outward in a clump.
Rose Mallow – Hibiscus moscheutos
Many of our favorite hardy hibiscus cultivars come from hybridizing and selecting with this species. In the wild, it prefers a wet soil, next to a stream or lake. The flowers are usually pink with a red center, but I have seen white mutations also. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide and the flowers are visited by bees and flies. 3 butterflies and several moths use it as a host plant.
Tall Phlox – Phlox paniculata
Also known as garden phlox, this cottage garden favorite can grow in full sun, part shade, and even next to the tree line by the woods. Native to Northeast Kansas, I have located several clumps around Brown, Atchison, and Doniphan counties, including some in my yard. Lots of cultivars have been selected and bred from this plant. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and forms a small colony over time.
Blunt Mountain Mint – Pycnanthemum muticum
One of the newest native wildflowers in my garden, blunt mountain mint prefers a slightly wet spot. I was able to plant mine by a leak in the hose we use daily to water our animals in the summer, so it never dried out, even in 2022’s heat and drought. It grows 3 to 5 feet tall and spreads into large colony. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies.
Little Brown-Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia triloba
The first time I came across this native was in 2009, in my mother-in-law’s garden. I did not even know then that is was one of the longest blooming native wildflowers. It starts in midsummer and usually blooms for 2 months nonstop. The plant is a host for checkerspot butterflies and a few moths, and the flowers attract bees, butterflies, and flies. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
Rattlesnake Master – Eryngium yuccafolium
Commonly found growing in ditches and wet prairies, rattlesnake master is a large plant that can tolerate some drought. It prefers moist soil however. I love this plant, and was impressed by the large, spiky blooms when I first saw it at the Kansas State University Gardens. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, wasps, and beetles. And the plant is a host to a few moths, mostly stem borers. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide in a clump.
Pitcher’s Clematis – Clematis pitcherii
This shade loving, vining clematis has purple bell-shaped flowers. It attracts mainly bumblebees. The flowers alone are worth growing it for. It can clamber up a trellis in part shade. And it is easy to transplant from one area of the garden to another, which I had to do before a septic line renovation in 2021.
Purple Meadow Rue – Thalictrum dasycarpum
A unique plant with unique flowers. This member of the Buttercup Family prefers woodland glades or shady wetlands in which to grow. It has some of the most interesting flowers of any of the native wildflowers. Dainty, and dancing in the wind, they seem to delicate to even be flowers. They are wind pollinated mainly, though a few bees may visit for the pollen. It is a host plant for at least 3 moths. Purple meadow rue grows 3 to 7 feet tall and up to 3 feet wide.
Native Wildflowers Which Are Still Blooming from Earlier
These natives are still going, some to end in June, and others to keep on going afterwards for awhile yet. Adding some of them to your garden spaces will increase diversity and flower power production.
- Blanketflower
- Agastache Blue Fortune
- Bluestars
- Spider Milkweed
- Sand Milkweed
- Purple Milkweed
- Baptisia cultivars
- Pale Purple Coneflower
- Penstemon Cobaea
- Husker Red Penstemon
- Onyx & Pearls Penstemon
- Rose Verbena
- Golden Alexanders
- Columbine
- Wild Geranium
- Indian Pink
- Hemp Dogbane
- Purple poppy mallow
- Missouri evening primrose
- Shooting star
- Fremont’s clematis
Conclusion
June is often Native Plant Appreciation Month in Kansas, thanks to the efforts of the active Kansas Native Plant Society. If you want to know more about the native wildflowers in your region, look to your native plant societies, most states have one. If not, start your own. Native plants should be an important and large part of your garden, if not the most important parts. they provide benefits to wildlife, insect pollinators, and us. And they can grow better in the ecosystems we have created around us.
Happy planting!
