Iowa Wildflower Week Celebrations April 28 - May 4, 2013 (Notice Date Change)
O'Brien County Conservation Board Headquarters, O'Brien County
Saturday, May 4, 2013
For the fifth year, Iowa Native Plant Society is celebrating wildflowers in a special week at the end of April and the beginning of May. Iowa Wildflower Week was created by and is coordinated by INPS. Flowers are an ideal attraction to help introduce people to native plants and natural areas. Let’s look at wildflowers per se and the history of the celebrations.
Defining “wildflower” is not straightforward. We immediately think of flowers growing in an undisturbed natural area – not seeded or planted – naturally growing there. We all know the delight of finding wildflowers and admiring them. They are native plants in bloom.
Increasingly, we treasure wildflowers that are blooming in a restoration or econstruction as we seek to heal land that had been neglected, abused, or converted to other uses. We are encouraged by success of these native plants in their role of ecosystem repair.
Wildflowers can also be native plants, not cultivars or hybrids, that have been seeded or planted into gardens.
This is quite different from the wildflower seed mixtures that are sold to grow anywhere. These packets often include species that are not native to or appropriate for the area where they are to be planted. They frequently include naturalized exotic species that some now treat as natives.
Iowa Wildflower Week (IWW) celebrates native wildflowers in their natural surroundings. It celebrates those that have been sown or planted in restorations, reconstructions, and gardens. Indeed, the use of wildflowers and other native plants in landscaping is important to reduce or eliminate the need for mowing, fertilizing, and watering; to provide wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, and other fauna; and to prevent soil erosion.
Celebrate IWW by organizing or attending a field trip, visiting a native garden, planning a garden or addition to your existing landscaping, or help others to learn more about native plants and our natural areas. Stay tuned to your local media and our websites to find out the great activities that are available to help in celebrating Iowa Wildflower Week.
