May 3rd through 9th is National Wildflower Week in the United States. It is an event to celebrate the beauty and usefulness of wildflowers that are blooming across much of the country this time of the year. It is always the first full week of May. It’s a tradition that was started in 1987 by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which is located in Austin, Texas.

So why celebrate wildflowers? Of course, the most popular reason is just their sheer beauty. How many of us have not admired a field full of wildflowers? But wildflowers have several other important functions, too. They are very useful in helping to clean the air that we all breathe. They are also important in helping to prevent land erosion on hillsides, slopes, and roadsides. Wildflowers are important sources of food and shelter for many types of wildlife from bees to birds to small rodents, and even human beings. Finally, the presence or absence of wildflowers is a good way for scientists to monitor ecological health.

So celebrate National Wildflower Week with a walk in the woods or a visit to a local botanical gardens. Enjoy the beautiful flowers, the fresh air, and the opportunity to get outside and move around. Also, I hope you can celebrate by enjoying some beautiful wildflower photos! Let me know your thoughts!