Wisconsin's highways and interstates are littered with invasive species of plant but there are a handful of late-season wildflowers that very much belong and are all over right now.
One family in particular, that arguably could be some of our most beautiful, is the Gentian family. Bottle, Cream, Fringed, Stiff, and if you're lucky, Downy Gentian might be flowering in a prairie near you.
The brilliant purple-to-white family of wildflowers are some of the latest flowering plants we have in the state and attract mostly bumblebees.
Fringed Gentian, one of Wisconsin's latest wildflowers to bloom
An aggressive native you're more likely to see on our public roads is the Aster. This is one of our largest family of plants, including Goldenrod. These are the wildflowers that create the massive hues of purples, whites, and yellows in our natural areas.
Their aggressive nature allows them to out-compete many invasive species and along with the whites of Boneset flowers creates quite the show on some stretches of roads.
Leaf Cutter Bee leaving a New England Aster
The Goldenrods are what bring the yellow along roads. Another aggressive group of plants allows them to provide huge ecological benefits to native insects and birds.
Most of the species you see are Canada, Old Field, and Giant Goldenrod but in some areas, Showy, Stiff, and Zigzag Goldenrod dominate depending on shade and soil history.
Goldenrod Solder Beetle on Stiff Goldenrod
Without these late-season wildflowers, dozens of species of bees couldn't collect enough provisions in preparation for winter. Next year, queens and the larva stages of the next generation totally rely on this late stage of wildflowers.
Incorporating these families of plants into your yard, neighborhood, or even work can help improve the survival odds of pollinators.
A little work can go a long way for nature's hardest workers.
Metallic Green Sweat Bee on Arrow leaf Aster