This month, you can see the bright color of summer wildflowers all over the Cuyahoga Valley. In the CVNP Donor Garden at Hines Hill, we have a rainbow of native Ohio flowers popping up, and we wanted to share them with you.
From the sunny yellow blooms of the black-eyed susan to the gentle purple of the coneflower, there’s a little bit of everything. Stop by the national park this week to take a look at the garden and see what wildflowers you can spy!
Here are four native Ohio wildflowers that you can see in the CVNP Donor Garden:
Missouri Primrose
The Missouri primrose is very colorful this time of year, with thick patches showing off dozens of bright yellow flowers. Remarkably, though, each bloom lasts only a single day, typically opening in late afternoon and staying open until the next morning.
Butterfly Weed
A species of milkweed, butterfly weed shows off its vibrant orange blooms from early summer to early fall. This flower gets its common name from its tendency to attract butterflies (as well as hummingbirds and other insects), thanks to its bright color and copious production of nectar.
Purple Coneflower
Purple coneflowers are part of the sunflower family and common throughout Ohio, frequently attracting butterflies with their vivid color. The drug Echinacea, sometimes used to boost the immune system, comes from this genus.
Black-Eyed Susans
Another butterfly-attracting plant, black-eyed susans are a traditional symbol of justice and can be found in brilliant patches just south of Boston Store in addition to in the CVNP Donor Garden.
All of these photos were taken this week in the CVNP Donor Garden at Hines Hill (1403 West Hines Hill Road, Peninsula, Ohio). Stop by to take a look and snap your own photos, and enjoy the summer wildflowers in your national park!
