Celebrating Wildflowers
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Plant of the Week: Heartleaf Arnica
One of the most widespread of the arnicas in North America. Read more about heartleaf arnica…
Pollinator of the Month: Yellow-Faced Bee
There are currently about 130 species of hylaeus in America. Read more about the yellow-faced bee…
Beauty of It All: Terrific Trilliums
Trilliums hold a special place in the hearts of naturalists, botanists, horticulturalists, and outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen worldwide. Read more about trilliums…
Ethnobotany…plants sustaining people
Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous (native) plants. Read more about ethnobotany…
Explore Rare Plants on our National Forests and Grasslands
“Caring for the land and serving people”, the mission of the U.S. Forest Service, means caring for rare plants and their habitats, and helping people learn about these special plants on our national forests and grasslands. Read more about rare plants….
Forest Service Regions
The nine Forest Service regions are broad geographic areas, usually including several states, encompassing 155 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands. These lands include a vast treasure of diverse landscapes, ecosystems, fauna, and flora. Explore the wildflowers of the Forest Service's Regions….
Welcome!
Celebrating Wildflowers is dedicated to the enjoyment of the thousands of wildflowers growing on our national forests and grasslands, and to educating the public about the many values of native plants.
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Celebrating Wildflowers News
“The People’s Tree” Lights up the Capitol
Posted December 19, 2019
The U.S. Army Brass Quintet performs in front of the adorned U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Photo by Tanya Flores, Office of Communications.
A special gift from the Carson National Forest has successfully completed its cross-country journey to Washington, D.C. Harvested on Nov. 6, 2019, the massive 60-foot blue spruce, known affectionately as the “People’s Tree,” traveled over 2,000 miles and stopped for celebrations in 25 communities before arriving at the U.S. Capitol in late November. Today, the tree stands on the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building and is decorated with thousands of handcrafted ornaments made by school children from the state of New Mexico.
Read more about the "The People's Tree"…
Introducing “Real Time” Counts at a Few California Overwintering Sites
Posted November 14, 2019
Snapshot of the 2019 Real Time Western Monarch Count Data. Visit the Xerces' Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count home page for updates.
New this season: the Xerces Society is introducing "real time" counts at a few overwintering sites thanks to some great volunteers. There's a new graphic in the slider with counts from a few important overwintering sites. We'll be updating these counts regularly throughout the overwintering season so you can get a glimpse at how many monarchs are clustered.
Check out the homepage of Xerces' Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count…
More than Monarchs: Restoring Ecosystems
Posted October 3, 2019
Honeybee on an aster. Photo by Candy Sarikonda, courtesy Monarch Joint Venture.
While monarchs are intrinsically important, conserving monarchs matters for more than just their own protection. Monarch Joint Venture is exploring the ways that monarch habitat and conservation helps people, other wildlife and the environment in the “More than Monarchs” series.
Read more about restoring ecosystems on Monarch Joint Venture…