A wildflower is a flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

 that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more expensively than when labeled with only its name and/or origin. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar

Cultivar

A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...

 that is in any way different from the way it appears in the wild as a native plant

Native plant

Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...

, even if it is growing where it would not naturally.

"Wildflower" is not an exact term. Terms like native species (naturally occurring in the area, see flora), exotic or, better, introduced species

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

(not naturally occurring in the area), of which some are labelled invasive species

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

(that out-compete other plants – whether native or not), imported (introduced to an area whether deliberately or accidentally) and naturalized (introduced to an area, but now considered by the public as native) are much more accurate.

In the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, the organisation Plantlife International instituted in 2002 the County Flowers scheme whereby members of the public nominated and voted for a wild flower emblem for their county

County

A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

. The aim was to spread awareness of the heritage of native species and about the need for conservation, as some of these species are endangered. For example, Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

 has adopted the Cheddar Pink (Dianthus

Dianthus

Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species in arctic North America. Common names include carnation , pink and sweet William Dianthus is a genus of...

 gratianopolitanus), London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 the Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) and Denbighshire

Denbighshire

Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...

/Sir Ddinbych in Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 the rare Limestone Woundwort (Stachys

Stachys

Stachys is one of the largest genera in the flowering plant family Lamiaceae. Estimates of the number of species in the genus vary from about 300, to about 450. The type species for the genus is Stachys sylvatica. Stachys is in the subfamily Lamioideae...

 alpina).

Typical examples

• Adonis aestivalis
  Adonis aestivalis
  Adonis aestivalis is a medicinal and ornamental plant. It is native to Europe but has been introduced elsewhere, such as the western and eastern parts of the United States.-External links:*****...
  
  - summer pheasant's-eye
• Centaurea cyanus
• Coreopsis tinctoria
• Dianthus barbatus
• Digitalis purpurea
  Digitalis purpurea
  Digitalis purpurea , is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae , native to most of Europe.-Description:...
  
  
• Eschscholzia californica - California Poppy
• Gypsophila elegans
  Gypsophila elegans
  Gypsophila elegans is an ornamental plant native to Asia and Europe....
  
  

See also

• List of San Francisco Bay Area wildflowers
• Megaherbs
• Native plant
  Native plant
  Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
  
  
• Naturalisation
  Naturalisation (biology)
  In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
  
  
• Spring ephemeral
• Wildflowers of the Canadian Rocky Mountains
  Wildflowers of the Canadian Rocky Mountains
  Wildflowers of the Canadian Rocky Mountains is an image list of flowering plants found in the Rocky Mountains in Canada.-Resources:*Alberta Wayside Wildflowers - Linda Kershaw ISBN 1-55105-350-0...
  
  
• Wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains
  Wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains
  More than 1400 species of Wildflowers are native to the Great Smoky Mountains. Every spring in late April Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the site of the week long annual spring wildflower pilgrimage to celebrate this diversity....
  
  

External links

• Wildflower Magazine promotes the use and conservation of wildflowers and native plants, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• Plantlife, UK organisation
• Wildflower in Cyprus Information on 1250 native plant species to North Cyprus.
• Photo guide to European flowers
• North American Wildflower Guide identification by color and petals, using Flickr content
• Ontario Wildflowers Detailed information about wildflowers of Ontario (Canada) and Northeastern North America
• Western USA wildflower reports
• NPIN: Native Plant Database