Robin’s Plantain is an early blooming native wildflower with pale purple flowers that resemble small daisies. Robin’s plantain blooms in spring and stands about 12-16 inches tall. This flower becomes a great source of early-season nectar for native bees and other pollinators. To learn more about Robin’s plantain, visit:

• Ontario Wildflowers – Robin’s Plantain
• Wildflower Center – Robin’s Plantain

Starry False Solomon’s Seal is found across Ontario. It typically grows 12-24 inches tall and produces a cluster of 6-15 small, white, star-shaped flowers in late spring. This flower attracts a variety of pollinators, including small native bees. Following pollination, the plant develops berries that develop to be dark red as they mature in late summer. For more information, visit:

• Wildflower Center – Starry False Solomon’s Seal
• Ontario Wildflowers – Starry False Solomon’s Seal  

Sundrops have large, bright yellow flowers. They bloom in late spring and summer. Interestingly, their flowers open when exposed to sunlight hence the name sundrops. Their bright yellow colour makes them attractive to birds such as hummingbirds. To learn more about sundrops, visit:

• Gardenia – Sundrops 
• Wildflower Center – Sundrops

Violets bloom in the spring and can be found in both forests and fields. Typically growing 3-10 inches tall, they act as great groundcovers under larger perennials. These asymmetrical blue/violet flowers attract a variety of native bees and butterflies, such as Fritillary butterflies, providing an early-season nectar source. To learn more, visit:

• In Our Nature – Violets
• Ontario Wildflowers – Violets  

Whorled milkweed’s single stem can grow up to 3-feet tall. The stem fills with long, thin leaves in a “whorled” pattern thus this plant was named. Out the top of the stem grows small white or light green, 5-petal flowers. Like other milkweeds in the native garden, this plant attracts many pollinators, especially monarch butterflies. To learn more about whorled milkweed, visit:

• Wildflower Center – Whorled Milkweed
• Ontario Wildflowers – Whorled Milkweed