Did you find a RED wildflower in the United States?
If so, I’m sure you’re wondering what type of wildflower you found! Luckily, you can use this guide to help you identify it. 🙂
Please be aware that I’m ONLY listing the most common red wildflowers today. There are so many species, varieties, and subspecies that it would be impossible to name them all. But if you want to dive even deeper into ALL the red wildflowers in the United States, check out this field guide!
Today, we will look at 25 RED wildflowers you can find in the United States.
#1. Indian Paintbrush
Also known as: Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Scarlet Paintbrush, Scarlet Painted-cup
Growing Information
- Life Cycle: Biennial or Annual
- Approximate Mature Size: 4-36 in (10-91 cm) tall
Indian Paintbrush is a hemiparasite, which means it feeds on the nutrients of other plants instead of creating nutrients through photosynthesis. Its most common hosts are grasses and sagebrush. To collect the nutrients, this red wildflower in the United States must attach its roots to the roots of its host.
Because of its parasitic nature, Indian Paintbrush can be hard to grow in home gardens and doesn’t transplant well. As a result, it’s commonly found in open fields with other wildflowers and grasses.
Interestingly, if you look closely, the red coloring on Indian Paintbrush isn’t the flower, but a part of its leaves called bracts.
#2. Columbine
Also known as: Red Columbine, Wild Columbine, Canadian Columbine, Jack-In-Trousers, Meeting Houses
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3b-8
- Life Cycle: Perennial or Biennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 6-48 in (15-122 cm) tall
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
You might be more familiar with Columbine varieties from Europe that are purple and blue. However, Red Columbine is a native red wildflower in the United States! You’re probably looking at Columbine if you spot drooping, bell-like red wildflowers near woodlands.
Columbine grows particularly well in gardens or even as a potted plant. Aside from painting your garden with a myriad of colors, the Columbine can attract hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies, which help to pollinate these beauties. Finches and Buntings are also known to eat the seeds!
#3. Red Trillium
Also known as: Red Trillium, Stinking Benjamin, Wet Dog Trillium, Purple Trillium
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4b-7a
- Approximate Mature Size: 8-16 in (20-41 cm) tall
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
This red wildflower is often one of the first to emerge in the United States after winter.
Its three-petaled flowers bloom briefly and quickly die back. You’re most likely to find Red Trillium in shaded woody areas like forest edges.
Red Trillium comes in various red, maroon, purple, yellow, and white shades. It has a distinct and unpleasant odor, like a wet dog, which is where some of its nicknames come from. Although it’s off-putting to humans, this odor is a useful adaptation! It attracts the Carrion Fly and various beetles, which pollinate the plant.
#4. Fire Pink
Also known as: Scarlet Catchfly, Cliff Pink, Indian Pink
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8a
- Approximate Mature Size: 8-36 in (20-91 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Spring to Mid Summer
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
Fire Pink is a native, carnivorous red wildflower in the United States.
Carnivorous plants that trap and eat insects sound like something from a tropical jungle, but we have tons of them in North America! The sticky hairs on its leaves trap prey and discourage ants and other pests from eating the leaves.
Fire Pink has five bright red petals that flare out into long tubes. Although this plant is pollinated primarily by hummingbirds, many small songbirds eat its seeds. Juncos, Pine Siskins, Sparrows, Water Pipits, and Horned Larks are all common birds attracted to it.
#5. Pitcher Plant
Also known as: Purple Pitcher Plant, Northern Pitcher Plant
Growing Information
- Approximate Mature Size: 8-16 in (20-41 cm) tall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
You might be surprised to know that the Pitcher Plant is carnivorous and can capture a wide range of animals! Although they’re primarily insectivores, frogs, lizards, newts, and even Spotted Salamanders are on the menu.
Pitcher plants get their name from goblet-shaped leaves that help them catch their prey. The leaves fill with water, and insects and other small animals fall in and can’t get out. Eventually, the insect drowns, and enzymes made by the plant digest its meal.
You can easily distinguish Pitcher Plants by their purple-veined leaves that grow into the shape of a pitcher or cup. The pitchers are about 6 inches (15 cm) long with a large lip. A leafless stalk grows from the middle, and a single reddish-purple flower blooms at the top.
#6. Cardinal Flower
Also known as: Red Bay, Scarlet Lobelia, Indian Pink, Water Gladiole, Slinkweed, Bog Sage, Hog’s Physic
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9a
- Approximate Mature Size: 3.6-72 in (9-183 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Summer to Early Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The blooms on this red wildflower in the United States cluster on the end of a long stalk. The Cardinal Flower has dark green leaves with purple undersides.
If you’re especially fond of hummingbirds, you can use the Cardinal Flower to attract them to your neighborhood. While other insects might find it hard to reach the sweet nectar inside, the tubular flowers are perfect for the long beaks of hummingbirds.
Cardinal Flowers grow well in a garden setting. Plant it in an area with partial sun for a beautiful pop of red that will attract hummingbirds!
#7. Toadshade Trillium
Also known as: Red Trillium, Red Wake-robin, Yellow Trillium
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8a
- Approximate Mature Size: 4-12 in (10-30 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Spring to Late Spring
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
Toadshade Trillium has funnel-shaped flowers. It beautifully carpets landscapes with shades of red, purple, brown, yellow, and green. You might notice a spicy, pungent odor, which the plant uses to attract pollinating flies and beetles.
This red wildflower in the United States is beloved among gardeners.
Its reddish-purple blooms are centered in the middle of the leaves, creating a double-flower effect that looks beautiful when mixed with other plants.
#8. Spotted Coralroot
Also known as: Summer Coralroot, Speckled Coral Root, Many-flowered Coral Root
Growing Information
- Approximate Mature Size: 3.9-31 in (10-79 cm) tall
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
This red wildflower is commonly found in wooded areas in the United States.
The most interesting feature of Spotted Coralroot is that it doesn’t have any leaves! Instead, the bare stalks produce clusters of flowers. Since this plant isn’t capable of photosynthesis, it siphons nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi, which is a natural fungus that occurs in its roots.
Mining bees are especially attracted to Spotted Coralroot. Although they pollinate this native orchid, it can also self-pollinate by transferring its pollen as its flower opens.
#9. Prairie Smoke
Also known as: Red Avens, Three-flowered Avens, Old Man’s Whiskers
Growing Information
- Approximate Mature Size: 6-18 in (15-46 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Spring to Early Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Prairie Smoke is one of the most striking red wildflowers in the United States.
Its green leaves turn red, purple, or orange in colder seasons. It produces bright red flower buds that droop from long stems during the spring.
However, the real show starts when the flowers start to seed. They open to reveal feathery, silvery-pink seed heads that unfurl into puffy clouds. It’s easy to mistake these wispy pink plumes for smoke, which is how they got their common name, Prairie Smoke.
#10. Scarlet Creeper
Also known as: Scarlet Morning Glory, Trompillo
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-11
- Approximate Mature Size: 36-120 in (91-305 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Winter
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Scarlet Creeper is often used as a climbing addition to gardens in the southeast. It grows well in most conditions, and its vines can reach well over 10 ft. (3 m.)
Planting this red wildflower in the United States will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, but be aware that you must prune it regularly. Scarlet Creeper can quickly become invasive to your yard by climbing fences, trellises, walls, and trees.
#11. Trumpet Honeysuckle
Also known as: Scarlet Honeysuckle, Coral Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle, Woodbine
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4b-9a
- Approximate Mature Size: 10-20 ft (3-6 m) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Spring to Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Trumpet Honeysuckle attracts birds, butterflies, and bumblebees. Its red, trumpet-shaped flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds.
In addition to pollinators, birds are attracted to this red wildflower in the United States because they eat its bright red berries. Purple Finches, Goldfinches, Hermit Thrushes, American Robins, and quails are frequent visitors to Trumpet Honeysuckle vines.
It has similar features to the Trumpet Creeper, and many people get the two mixed up. However, a benefit of the Trumpet Honeysuckle is that it’s not as aggressive and does not get as big as the Trumpet Creeper. Because of this, Trumpet Honeysuckle may fit better in your garden.
#12. Scarlet Rose Mallow
Also known as: Red Hibiscus, Wild Red Mallow, Scarlet Hibiscus
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b-9a
- Approximate Mature Size: 4-8 ft. (1-2.4 m) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Summer to Early Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The Scarlet Rose Mallow is a favorite among gardeners because of its big, showy crimson flowers. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, butterflies, and Rose Mallow Bees find this plant especially attractive.
You’re likely to find this red wildflower in the United States near swamps, ditches, and marshes in the wild. Look for it in areas of full sun with wet, rich soil.
#13. Painted-leaf
Also known as: Wild Poinsettia
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-11
- Approximate Mature Size: 28-35 in (71-89 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
You can easily identify the Painted-leaf by its fiddle-shaped leaves with blotches of reddish pink near the base. Their coloring gives them a painted look, which is where their common name came from. You might mistake these colorful leaves as petals, but if you take a closer look, you will see that the true flowers are small and yellow.
This red wildflower in the United States grows in many different soil types, and it’s common across its range. So you’re likely to spot it in habitats ranging from forest edges to open fields.
#14. Woodland Pinkroot
Also known as: Indian Pink, Pinkroot
Growing Information
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-18 in (30-46 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Summer
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
This red wildflower grows in the United States in moist woods, streambeds, and ravines with lots of shade. The Woodland Pinkroot is a favorite of hummingbirds, songbirds, and butterflies.
If you’re looking for a versatile, easy-to-care-for ornamental plant, Woodland Pinkroot is perfect for city and coastal gardens. It has upward-facing, trumpet-shaped red flowers. Each flower has a yellow middle that flares outward to form a star.
#15. Tropical Sage
Also known as: Red Salvia, Red Sage, Wild Salvia
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4, 8b-10a
- Life Cycle: Annual or Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 24-48 in (61-122 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Look for this red wildflower in the United States in woods, disturbed fields, and vacant lots. It attracts pollinators, including hummingbirds and butterflies. Its bright-red flowers grow from a central stem and look a little like clusters of bells.
Tropical sage has a longer blooming season than most wildflowers. You can expect to see its flowers from the beginning of summer through late autumn.
#16. Coralbean
Also known as: Red Cardinal, Cherokee Bean, Mamou Plant
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 6b-10
- Life Cycle: Annual or Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 3-25 ft (91-762 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Don’t be confused by the similar names: Coralbean (sometimes called Red Cardinal) is a completely different plant from Red Cardinal Flower. Coralbean is generally a lighter, more pinky shade of red, and its petals are more openly spaced.
This plant is taller and bigger than most red wildflowers in the United States.
The Coralbean blooms are irresistible for hummingbirds. It also has thick, thorny foliage that serves as a refuge for birds and small animals against other wildlife. Look for Coralbean in the sandy soil of open woods and forest clearings.
#17. Wood Lily
Also known as: Purple Toadshade, Toad Trillium, Little Sweet Betsy
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b-8a
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-18 in (30-46 cm) tall
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
Wood Lily is recognizable by its round, green leaves beautifully marbled with silver. A single maroon flower protrudes from the center of each leaf cluster.
You wouldn’t guess by its deep coloring, but the fragrance of this red wildflower in the United States is similar to bananas! The sweet scent is attractive to bees, moths, and small mammals.
Look for Wood Lily in upland forests with limestone-rich soil.
#18. Scarlet Bee Balm
Also known as: Red Bergamot, Scarlet Monarda, Horsemint, Indian Plume
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9a
- Approximate Mature Size: 24-72 in (61-183 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
A native red wildflower in the United States, Scarlet Bee Balm attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Scarlet Bee Balm grows up to 4′ (1.2 m) tall and produces bright red tubular blooms that are a fantastic nectar source. Deadheading flowers will encourage a second round of blooms.
Although it’s most commonly grown in gardens as an ornamental plant, you may spot Scarlet Bee Balm on the edge of forests in full sun.
#19. Trumpet Creeper
Also known as: Trumpet Vine, Trumpet Climber, Hellvine, Devil’s Shoestring
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-10a
- Approximate Mature Size: 29-40 ft (9-12 m) tall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Trumpet Vine is a perfect hummingbird flower (it’s even commonly referred to as “hummingbird vine”), as it features long, tubular, bright flowers with lots of nectar.
This reddish-orange wildflower is easy to grow in most of the country. And I do mean GROW. It has a reputation for growing like crazy, and I can second that with my first-hand experience. It needs to be trimmed regularly, or it will take over an entire area. The vine gets so big that many birds will even nest in its dense foliage!
#20. Wax Mallow
Also known as: Bleeding Hearts, Manzanilla, Sleeping Hibiscus, Ladies Teardrop
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-10
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-16 ft (4-5 m) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Summer to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
Wax Mallow boasts overlapping vermillion red blooms similar to hibiscus flowers. Look for it in dense forest understories, where it grows in a shrub-like shape.
Wherever this red wildflower in the United States grows, you’re likely to find hummingbirds. It’s an important food source for these pollinating birds, particularly juveniles.
#21. Scarlet Beardtongue
Also known as: Red Beardtongue, Red Penstemon, Scarlet Penstemon, Cupleaf Penstemon, Cupleaf Beardtongue
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b-9
- Approximate Mature Size: 24-72 in (61-183 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Early Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
This red wildflower is an essential nectar source for many hummingbirds in the United States.
Scarlet Beardtongue stands up to 6 feet tall, and its flowers are scattered on the end of the stalks. This plant earned its common name of Cupleaf Pentsemon for the upward-facing leaves that look like tiny green cups stacked on top of each other.
The thready stems and widely spaced flowers are common in wildflower fields and along roadsides.
#22. Scarlet Gilia
Also known as: Scarlet Trumpet, Skyrocket
Growing Information
- Life Cycle: Biennial or Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-60 in (30-152 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The Scarlet Gilia is also called Skunk Flower for its potent putrid odor. However, that won’t stop long-tongued moths and hummingbirds from enjoying the sweet nectar inside the flowers.
The nickname “Skyrocket” is especially fitting for this red wildflower in the United States.
Its pointed, long petals extend from a central flower and look like a vibrant firework!
#23. Wine Cup
Also known as: Purple Poppy Mallow
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8a
- Approximate Mature Size: 4-12 in (10-30 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The Wine Cup is named for its vibrant chalice-shaped flowers. The blooms are magenta, with a white spot at the base of the five upturned petals.
You can plant the beautiful Wine Cup in hanging pots, garden walls, or open meadows to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The stems trail along the ground and spread to about three feet but won’t smother your other plants.
This drought-resistant red wildflower is found in open fields and clearings in the United States.
#24. Blanket Flower
Also known as: Indian Blanket, Indian Blanketflower, Beach Blanket-flower, Firewheel, Sundance
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-11
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-24 in (30-61cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Early Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Blanket Flower is a sunflower with an impressive display of red, orange, and yellow petals. Don’t be surprised if you spot many bees and birds where these flowers grow!
Many beekeepers use Blanket Flower in the production of honey. The honey made from this red wildflower is mild, buttery, and amber-colored.
Goldfinches enjoy the seeds of Blanket Flower, so don’t forget to leave some seedheads after the flowering season!
#25. Pinedrops
Also known as: Giant Pinedrops, Woodland Pinedrops, Giant Bird’s Nest
Growing Information
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-79 in (30-201 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Early Summer to Mid Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Pinedrops spend most of their life as a clump of fleshy roots underground. Without leaves, Pinedrops don’t need chlorophyll like other plants do. Instead, they are parasitic and steal nutrients from their host plants.
Sometimes, the roots of the Pinedrops will sprout tall, stiff, reddish-purple stems that will grow upright without branches. From these stems, you will see urn-shaped yellow, pink, or white flowers which face downward.
What are your FAVORITE red wildflowers in the United States?
Let us know in the COMMENTS below!
