4 Kinds of RED Wildflowers in North Dakota (w/Pics)

Did you find a RED wildflower in North Dakota?

Types of red wildflowers in North Dakota

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 North Dakota, check out this field guide!

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4 RED wildflowers in North Dakota.


#1. Columbine

  • Aquilegia canadensis

Also known as: Red Columbine, Wild Columbine, Canadian Columbine, Jack-In-Trousers, Meeting Houses

Red wildflowers in North Dakota

Growing Information

  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 3b-8
  • Life Cycle: Perennial or Biennial
  • Approximate Mature Size: 6-48 in (15-122 cm) tall
  • Bloom Time: Spring
  • 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 North Dakota! 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!


#2. Prairie Smoke

  • Geum triflorum

Also known as: Red Avens, Three-flowered Avens, Old Man’s Whiskers

North Dakota red wildflowers

Growing Information

  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • 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 North Dakota.

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.


#3. Trumpet Creeper

  • Campsis radicans

Also known as: Trumpet Vine, Trumpet Climber, Hellvine, Devil’s Shoestring

Types of red wildflowers in North Dakota

Growing Information

  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-10a
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Approximate Mature Size: 29-40 ft (9-12 m) tall
  • Bloom Time: Summer
  • 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!


#4. Wine Cup

  • Callirhoe involucrata

Also known as: Purple Poppy Mallow

Red wildflowers in North Dakota

Growing Information

  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8a
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • 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 North Dakota.


What are your FAVORITE red wildflowers in North Dakota?

Let us know in the COMMENTS below!

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