Flowers

Annual Flowers: are started from seed each Winter or Early Spring, and are set out as small plants when all danger of frost is gone. Here the most popular annuals for Wyoming.
	Petunia is a genus of flowering plants from South America, and is related to tobacco, cape gooseberries, tomatoes, deadly nightshades, potatoes and chili peppers; in the family Solanaceae. At the end of the season, or Fall, this variety is even more frost resistant than Marigold, and almost as resistant as Snapdragon to cold and frost. It is widely planted across the U.S. and seems particularly well suited to the high, dry, and cold Rocky Mountain Region. It comes in a wide variety of colors including red, blue, white, violet, pink. It also comes in multicolor and yellows and oranges, but the yellows and oranges are not as vibrant as they are in Marigold.
	Marigold is the genus Tagetes. It is in the Sunflower family. It is native to North and South America and has been naturalized around the world. It is tough and resistant to cold and that makes it especially suited to the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. It has a strong odor which many harmful insects find unpleasant, but beneficial insects find attractive. It comes in a wide variety of shades from light yellow, brilliant yellow, to many oranges and to very deep reds. It is not available in blues. It has a wide variety of blossom types from daisy-like to composite.
	Snapdragon is the genus Antirrhinum. Snapdragons are actually perennials, but are often sold as cold-season annual plants and do best in full or partial sun. They are available in a range of heights: dwarf (6-8 inches), medium (15-30 inches) and tall (30-48 inches). They do best with some relief from the wind. They will definitely winter over in Wyoming and will also seed out and you will get little Snapdragon plants next year from your initial planting.
	Pansy or pansy violet is a large group of hybrid plants derived from the Viola species. So, technically they are Violas. Violas are wild flowers found across Europe and North America. In very wet highland spots across Wyoming wild Violas can be found. Pansies are sometimes called Monkeyflower because they appear to have a face in them. Pansies are very resistant to cold, very cold hardy. Like Snapdragons, they can winter over if planted somewhere where they are very well protected from the wind. They love to grow in the shade.
	Hollyhock make up about 60 species in the genus Alcea in the mallow family Malvaceae. They are native to southwest and central Asia. They are biennial or short-lived perennial plants. The Mallow relatives are quite numerous in Wyoming mountains, particularly in wet areas near streams. Hollyhock can grow to 7 feet in Wyoming. In warmer climates they can grow over 12 feet tall. They will often seed out and produce baby plants in the Spring. The blossoms come in a wide variety of colors. White and black seem to dominate.
	Geranium Geranium is a genus with over 400 species of flowering plants, that are also called cranesbills. It is found throughout the temperate regions of the world and mountains of the tropics. The species include annuals, biennials, and perennials. What you will find for sale at your local greenhouse will most likely be an annual. But some greenhouses will also have perennials for sale. The perennials look and grow much like their wild Wyoming cousins. Geraniums are very showy. They annuals usually come in white, pink, or red shades. The perennials will come in white, pink, or blue. They like water, but want well drained soil. They, and their wild cousins love to grow next to a rock or wall. They like the extra radiant heat at night. The perennial blossoms, both wild and domestic, will be simple blossoms with 5 petals. The annuals will be compound blossoms.
Perennial Flowers: are started from seed each Winter or Early Spring, and are set out as small plants when all danger of frost is gone. Perennials will winter over and bloom year after year. Many gardeners have perennial beds where 3 or 4 flowers (on a rotational basis) are always blooming throughout the summer. Here the most popular perennials for Wyoming.
	Shasta Daisy is the genus Leucanthemum x superbum. Originate in the Pacific Northwest in the Cascade Mountain Range, and particularly around Mt. Shasta. They were first introduced to American growers by Luther Burbank. There are a number of varieties, with a number of bloomtimes spreading from late Spring to past mid-Summer. They are universally white in color. They work well when planted with Rudbekia because Rudbekia is starting to bloom just as Shasta blossoms are failing.
	Rudbeckia is one plant of the 23 different species of the Asteraceae family. These species are often called coneflowers or black eyed susans. All 23 species are native to North America. Nearest relatives of the 23 species are, not surprisingly, the Sunflowers. Blossoms are very showy, golden, and bloom from mid-Summer to frost. A mild Fall can allow the blossoms to last well into October. The plants are big, often growing 3 feet tall. They grow steadily throughout the Summer and usually make lots of children which show up next Spring. This perennial has to be managed, or it will take over the whole bed.
	Tulip is a perennial bulb, in the genus Tulipa, which has many species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. So, it is related to the lilies. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The Dutch found the tulip early in their trading and took it home, where it became wildly popular resulting in the 'Tulip Mania' that peaked in 1637. Most tulips sold in the U.S. are of Dutch origin. Most tulips sold in the U.S. come from three different growing consortiums in the state of Michigan. There are several companies in each group and they cooperate with their marketing. Tulips are great flowers for Wyoming, far better than Dafodils, because they generally bloom later than Dafodils and thus don't get as damaged by late Spring snows. Tulips come in a wide range of colors, and multicolored blossoms. Tulips are mid-Spring bloomers. They need to have their bulbs dug up and moved every third year. They also benefit from special fertilizers that are designed just for them. They are best when planted in groups or showy 'masses'. Deer love to eat the blossoms. Plant the bulbs in the Fall before the soil freezes.
	Dafodil is one plant of Narcissus, a genus of hardy spring-flowering bulbs in the Amaryllis family. It is native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. Dafodil is the common English name for all varieties in this big family. Most every gardener in Wyoming has Dafodil planted. Dafodil comes up very early in the Spring. That's why we like it. But, really folks, it does not do very well here because of its earliness. A common joke in my circle of gardeners is a rule of thumb I have promoted: It's not really Spring yet until the Dafodils have been snowed on at least four times. One reason some folks go ahead and plant Dafodils amongst the Tulips is to deter deer. Deer hate the smell and tast of Dafodil. Plant the bulbs in the Fall before the soil freezes.
Flowering Shrubs and Trees: are very popular. They are very attractive, and with a little care, will last a lifetime. Here the most popular for Wyoming.
	Rose is a perennial plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They typically a shrub, but can also be a trailing vine. The stems often have sharp prickles. The flowers are large, showy, and have a pleasant fragrance. The petals can be dried and used in teas. The seed pod, or hip, is a 'pome', and so the rose is a close relative of apple and pear. Blossom colors range from whites, pinks, reds, oranges, to yellow. Wild roses are native to North America and to Wyoming. These blossoms are simple five petal affairs. Roses are popular with deer early in the spring, particularly the new growth. They bloom starting in June. Some varieties will bloom all summer. Some varieties are not rated for any climate below Zone 5. Most of Wyoming is Zone 4.
	Crab Apple Apples, or Malus are a genus of between 30 and 55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Wild Apples, or Crabs, are native to the Northern Hemisphere of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Some Crabs, like the Whitney Crab are, in fact, domesticated. Crabs are very resistant to disease, and so their root stocks often have other species grafted to them. In Casper there are nearly as many yards with a Crab or two as there are yards with Roses. Crabs are very popular because of their hardiness and their lovely blossoms in the Spring. Blossoms range from white, to pink, to red, to purple.

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