Wildflower Blooming Period: A Gardener’s Timeline
Wildflowers add a riot of color to garden borders, containers, and open prairies from spring until fall. And there are hundreds of types of wildflowers to choose from. Due to the sheer variety of wildflowers available, many will develop at slightly different times. In this article, we’ll find out how long it takes for wildflowers to grow.
How Long Does it Take for Wildflowers to Germinate?
Different wildflowers take various lengths of time to germinate. Most common wildflowers germinate relatively quickly so they can colonize new areas. However, some wildflower species can take several years to germinate.
Annual wildflowers usually germinate and sprout faster than perennial wildflowers. The best time to sow wildflowers is either in spring or during the fall. Annual wildflowers sown during the spring should sprout within 14 to 21 days of sowing.
Wildflower seeds sown in the fall take longer to sprout because they will be dormant over the winter. However, this is ideal for perennial wildflowers like coneflowers. Perennial wildflowers take longer to establish than annual wildflowers, so be patient.
How Long Does it Take for Wildflowers to Bloom?
Annual wildflowers will grow faster than perennial wildflowers. This is because annual wildflowers only last for a year before dying back. Perennial wildflowers can take up to a year to mature and bloom but will flower for several years.
However, once flowering has finished in the fall, most annual wildflowers will self-seed. These seeds germinate in winter and spring before blooming the following year. This can produce earlier blooms than annual wildflowers sown during the spring.
Most wildflowers bloom from April or May until November, depending on when they were sown. Many wildflower species can bloom for three to four months. Most annual wildflowers sown during the spring take between 60 and 80 days to bloom from sowing.
Most perennial wildflowers won’t flower in their first year after sowing. Instead, perennial wildflowers focus on producing strong root systems during the first year. But during their second year after sowing, perennial wildflowers should start blooming. The blooms should then improve during each subsequent year.
Biennial wildflowers have a life cycle that lasts for two years. In the first year, biennial wildflowers put their energy into producing solid roots and foliage rather than flowers. Biennial wildflowers will bloom in their second year before dying off and setting seed like annuals.
How Long Will Wildflowers Last?
Different types of wildflowers bloom for different lengths of time. Annual and biennial wildflowers last much longer in each season than perennial wildflowers. Annual wildflowers can bloom for two to four months, as can biennial wildflowers once they reach their second year.
However, many perennial wildflowers bloom for only a few weeks each year. This allows them to die back and conserve energy for the winter.
Wrapping Up
Annual wildflowers take approximately 60 to 80 days to grow from seed and produce blooms. Most biennial and perennial wildflowers take two years to produce blooms.