Wildflowers Blooming in Iowa in May (60 Species)

60 wildflowers were recorded blooming in Iowa in May in our iNaturalist sample; 32 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Top wildflowers in May

Red Columbine182 obs.

Wild Geranium94 obs.

Virginia bluebells74 obs.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit72 obs.

Dame's Rocket63 obs.

Mayapple60 obs.

Dutchman's breeches60 obs.

Prairie Trillium60 obs.

Blue Phlox55 obs.

Virginia waterleaf55 obs.

Multiflora Rose48 obs.

Ground-Ivy45 obs.

All wildflowers blooming in Iowa in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Red Columbine	Aquilegia canadensis	buttercup family	182	May (peak)
2	Wild Geranium	Geranium maculatum	Geranium family	94	May (peak)
3	Virginia bluebells	Mertensia virginica	borage family	74	Apr (past peak)
4	Jack-in-the-Pulpit	Arisaema triphyllum	Arum Family	72	May (peak)
5	Dame's Rocket	Hesperis matronalis	mustard family	63	May (peak)
6	Mayapple	Podophyllum peltatum	barberry family	60	May (peak)
7	Dutchman's breeches	Dicentra cucullaria	Poppy Family	60	Apr (past peak)
8	Prairie Trillium	Trillium recurvatum	Herb-Paris, False Hellebores, Trilliums and allies	60	May (peak)
9	Blue Phlox	Phlox divaricata	phlox family	55	May (peak)
10	Virginia waterleaf	Hydrophyllum virginianum	borage family	55	May (peak)
11	Multiflora Rose	Rosa multiflora	rose family	48	May (peak)
12	Ground-Ivy	Glechoma hederacea	Mint Family	45	Apr (past peak)
13	Catchweed Bedstraw	Galium aparine	madder family	43	May (peak)
14	Virginia Springbeauty	Claytonia virginica	Pussypaw Family	42	Apr (past peak)
15	Garlic Mustard	Alliaria petiolata	mustard family	40	May (peak)
16	Tall Blue Wild Indigo	Baptisia australis	Legumes	36	May (peak)
17	Hoary Puccoon	Lithospermum canescens	borage family	33	May (peak)
18	Drooping Trillium	Trillium flexipes	Herb-Paris, False Hellebores, Trilliums and allies	32	May (peak)
19	Showy Orchis	Galearis spectabilis	Orchids	30	May (peak)
20	common star-of-Bethlehem	Ornithogalum umbellatum	agave and allies	30	May (peak)
21	Largeflower Bellwort	Uvularia grandiflora	Bellworts and allies	27	Apr (past peak)
22	Canada anemone	Anemonastrum canadense	buttercup family	25	May (peak)
23	Jacob's ladder	Polemonium reptans	phlox family	24	May (peak)
24	Amur honeysuckle	Lonicera maackii	honeysuckle family	24	May (peak)
25	American bladdernut	Staphylea trifolia	bladdernut family	24	May (peak)
26	White Fawnlily	Erythronium albidum	lily family	16	Apr (past peak)
27	Autumn Olive	Elaeagnus umbellata	oleaster family	16	May (peak)
28	False Rue Anemone	Enemion biternatum	buttercup family	16	Apr (past peak)
29	Smooth Yellow Violet	Viola eriocarpa	Violet Family	16	May (peak)
30	Rue Anemone	Thalictrum thalictroides	buttercup family	15	Apr (past peak)
31	Wood Anemone	Anemonoides quinquefolia	buttercup family	15	Apr (past peak)
32	Canadian lousewort	Pedicularis canadensis	broomrape family	14	May (peak)
33	Star-Flowered Lily-Of-The-Valley	Maianthemum stellatum	agave and allies	14	May (peak)
34	Aniseroot	Osmorhiza longistylis	carrot family	14	May (peak)
35	Bloodroot	Sanguinaria canadensis	Poppy Family	13	Apr (past peak)
36	Twoleaf Miterwort	Mitella diphylla	saxifrage family	13	May (peak)
37	golden Alexanders	Zizia aurea	carrot family	13	May (peak)
38	Prairie Phlox	Phlox pilosa	phlox family	13	Jun (rising)
39	Poison Hemlock	Conium maculatum	carrot family	12	Jun (rising)
40	Henbit Deadnettle	Lamium amplexicaule	Mint Family	12	Apr (past peak)
41	Great Waterleaf	Hydrophyllum appendiculatum	borage family	12	May (peak)
42	Prairie Pasqueflower	Pulsatilla nuttalliana	buttercup family	12	Apr (past peak)
43	Solomon's plume	Maianthemum racemosum	agave and allies	11	May (peak)
44	White Campion	Silene latifolia	pink family	11	Jun (rising)
45	Eastern Shooting Star	Primula meadia	primrose family	11	May (peak)
46	Yellow Lady's Slipper	Cypripedium parviflorum	Orchids	10	May (peak)
47	Reflexed Wild Ginger	Asarum reflexum	birthwort family	10	Apr (past peak)
48	Red Clover	Trifolium pratense	Legumes	9	Jul (rising)
49	Marsh Marigold	Caltha palustris	buttercup family	9	Apr (past peak)
50	Field Penny-Cress	Thlaspi arvense	mustard family	9	May (peak)