- 1). Identify Sullivant's milkweed, a hardy native plant that flourishes along dry roadsides in central and northwestern Ohio, by looking for clusters of lavender flowers and broad, upright, dark green elliptical leaves. Distinguish it from common milkweed by the pinkish rib that runs down the center of each leaf. According to the Ohio Prairie Association website, Sullivant's milkweed only grows in sites that were once native prairie.
- 2). Recognize butterfly weed--also known as orange milkweed--by its round clusters of brilliant orange flowers, each cluster formed by many tiny, star-shaped blossoms. Check the leaves--if they are shiny and bright green, the chances are good that you are looking at butterfly weed. Another clue is the presence of the orange and black monarch butterfly fluttering nearby; the caterpillars of this beautiful insect feast on the leaves of butterfly weed.
- 3). Look for a daisy-like flower with a brown center and golden rays, supported by a 1- to 2-foot stem; you've just identified Ohio's most common coneflower: the black-eyed Susan, or Rudbeckia hirta, which thrives in meadows and pastures. Feel the stems and leaves--they should be covered with short, bristly hairs.
- 4). Identify the cardinal flower--also known as red lobelia--by looking for brilliant scarlet tubular flowers on spikes. The water-loving cardinal flower thrives in swampland and along streams, where it can grow to 4 feet tall.
- 5). Identify the prairie rose, found in thickets, along fencerows, and in clearings, by its glossy dark green foliage and deep pink, 5-petaled flowers with gold centers. Sniff the flower--you should detect the characteristic rose fragrance.
- 6). To recognize Ohio spiderwort--a perennial member of the dayflower family-- count the petals on the delicate, bluish-violet blossom; there should be three of them. The anthers--the protruding stalks in the middle of the flower--are bright yellow, and the leaves are blade-like. Consider the time of day, as well--if the flower opens in the morning but begins to close up by afternoon, it is almost definitely Ohio spiderwort.
- 7). To identify dwarf crested iris, look for a small plant, about six inches tall, with sword-shaped leaves and showy, pale purple flowers. The tongue-like petals are embellished with a raised, frilly ridge--or crest--and the center of the flower is splashed with yellow.
- 8). Look at the foliage to identify the yellow trout lily; leaves will be speckled brown and green, much like the pattern on a brook trout. The flower itself resembles a small daffodil that has been turned inside out, with back-curving yellow petals and intense orange and yellow anthers. The yellow trout lily rarely grows more than a foot high, and the flowers are usually only an inch wide.
- 9). Recognize painted trillium by its pale pink to whitish blossoms, each with three distinctly cut, narrow petals. Confirm your identification of painted trillium when you see a bright scarlet ring, resembling a lipstick stain, encircling the middle of the flower.
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