Celebrating National Wildflower Week

National Wildflower Week takes place each year in the first week of May, signaling a time when most of the country is bursting with wildflower blooms. This week-long tradition was started in 1987 by The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, to celebrate the beauty and importance of native wildflowers across the United States. 

The mission of The Wildflower Center is to inspire the conservation of native plants. The Center was founded by Lady Bird Johnson and actress Helen Hayes as the National Wildflower Research Center in 1982, and is now located at The University of Texas at Austin. Through their research, demonstration projects, education programs, and programs to promote sustainable landscapes, this organization is making a difference for the health of the planet.

At American Meadows, we celebrate National Wildflower Week as an opportunity to share our love and enthusiasm for wildflowers with our community of gardeners across the country. We love wildflowers for their beauty and resilience - and for the fact that they can be grown just about anywhere by gardeners of any age or skill level! Whether you want to grow colorful flowers in a flower pot on a balcony, or you want to transform your yard into a pollinator-friendly oasis, or you've dreamed of planting a sweeping meadow of flowers, wildflowers are a great solution. With over 35 years of experience helping gardeners across the country, we're here to help you grow amazing wildflowers!

We invite you to join us for wildflower inspiration, this week and all year round!

• Follow American Meadows on Instagram or Facebook for beautiful wildflower imagery and helpful growing tips.
• Share photos of wildflowers for a chance to win prizes in our Photo Contest!
• Ready to dig in? Preparation is the key to success! See our guide: How To Grow Wildflowers

Wondering where to start? As Lady Bird Johnson said, wildflowers “give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours.” The first step in growing a successful wildflower meadow is to start with seeds that are suited to your region's climate and growing conditions. To make it easier to find the best seeds that will thrive in your area, we offer carefully formulated Regional Wildflower Seed Mixes for each region of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, and Pacific Northwest.  

Learn More: Plant A Vibrant Meadow With The Best Seeds For Your Region

1. Wildflowers are easy to grow. They create easy, low-maintenance color in almost any sunny spot, needing little water once established.
2. Wildflowers help our pollinators and wildlife. Planting a wildflower meadow gives bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds a nectar buffet to feed on all season long. They create habitat for beneficial insects, which also means food for songbirds and their young.
3. Wildflowers make sustainable gardening and lawn care easy. Instead of spending your time and resources on mowing a huge lawn, replace half of it (or all of it!) with easy-to-grow wildflowers that only require mowing once per season. Once established, wildflowers need little supplemental water, no fertilizing, and mowing at most once per year.
4. Wildflowers provide spectacular color. There’s nothing more awe-inspiring than a wildflower garden or meadow bursting in bloom. We offer over 200 individual species and 50 mixes, so you can find your favorite colors and flowers.
5. Wildflowers are fun. Whether you’re a new gardener or a seasoned green thumb, you'll get endless enjoyment watching the magic of your wildflowers unfold over the season, seeing birds and pollinators visiting, and cutting wildflowers for bouquets.