Pennsylvania's wildflowers bloom from the forest floor to the mountain ridges through every warm season. In spring, woodland preserves fill with delicate red columbine, wild geranium, and blue violets; in early summer, the rocky ridges blaze with the pink-and-white blossoms of mountain laurel, the state flower; and through summer and fall, meadows glow with orange butterfly weed, golden black-eyed Susans, and purple asters buzzing with bees. From famous wildflower preserves to state park trails, learning the wildflowers turns any Pennsylvania walk into a discovery.
This guide maps the best spots to find wildflowers in Pennsylvania with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Wildflowers of Pennsylvania Activity Book to track every flower your family discovers.
Best Spots for Wildflowers in Pennsylvania
We mapped the best wildflower locations in Pennsylvania so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton — Beyond its famous hawks, this ridge-top sanctuary has wildflower-rich trails and blooming mountain laurel in early summer.
- Ricketts Glen State Park, Benton — A spectacular park of 22 waterfalls and old-growth forest, with abundant spring wildflowers along its gorge trails.
- Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square — A world-famous garden with native meadow plantings and wildflower areas alongside its formal displays.
- Powder Mill Nature Reserve, Rector — A Laurel Highlands reserve with woodland and meadow wildflowers and family nature programs.
- Raccoon Creek State Park, Clinton — Home to the Wildflower Reserve, a 314-acre area famous for one of the finest spring wildflower displays in western Pennsylvania.
- Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve, Lancaster — One of the most celebrated wildflower spots in the state, where a sheltered glen bursts with spring ephemerals like trillium and bluebells.
- Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope — A preserve devoted entirely to Pennsylvania's native plants, with labeled trails perfect for families learning wildflowers.
- Wolf Creek Narrows, Butler County — A natural area famous for its spectacular spring wildflower displays along a scenic creek.
- John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Philadelphia — An urban marsh refuge whose meadows and wetlands bloom with wildflowers that draw butterflies and birds.
- French Creek State Park, Elverson — A large forested park whose woodlands and meadows fill with wildflowers from spring through fall.
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Make the Adventure Real The Wildflowers of Pennsylvania Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full PA Set |
Family Tips for Wildflower Exploring in Pennsylvania
- Visit a wildflower preserve in spring. Shenks Ferry, Wolf Creek Narrows, and Raccoon Creek's Wildflower Reserve put on spectacular displays of spring ephemerals in April and May.
- Look for mountain laurel in June. Pennsylvania's state flower blooms in pink-and-white clusters across rocky ridges in late spring — Hawk Mountain and the Laurel Highlands are great spots.
- Start at Bowman's Hill. Its labeled native-plant trails make it easy for kids to learn wildflower names before heading into the wild.
- Look, don't pick — and use iNaturalist. Wildflowers in parks and preserves are protected; bring a camera and the iNaturalist app to identify and record finds instead.
Frequently Asked Questions: Wildflowers of Pennsylvania with Kids
What is the state flower of Pennsylvania?
Mountain laurel is Pennsylvania's state flower — an evergreen shrub that blooms in late May and June with clusters of pink and white cup-shaped flowers. Its blossoms form perfect little pentagons, and its spring-loaded stamens flick pollen onto visiting bees. Note that all parts of the plant are poisonous, so it's a look-don't-taste flower.
Where is the best place to see wildflowers in Pennsylvania with kids?
For spring wildflowers, Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve near Lancaster and Raccoon Creek's Wildflower Reserve are among the finest in the state. Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve is wonderful for families because its native plants are labeled along easy trails.
When is the best time to see wildflowers in Pennsylvania?
Spring (April–May) brings the famous woodland ephemerals like trillium, columbine, and bluebells. Early summer brings blooming mountain laurel on the ridges, and summer into fall fills the meadows with butterfly weed, black-eyed Susans, and asters. There are wildflowers from spring through October.
Why is mountain laurel special in Pennsylvania?
Mountain laurel has been Pennsylvania's state flower since 1933, and its early-summer bloom transforms the state's rocky hillsides and forest edges into a sea of pink and white. The flowers have a clever pollination trick: the stamens are bent back under tension and snap forward to dust visiting bees with pollen.
Are wildflowers protected in Pennsylvania parks?
Yes — picking or digging wildflowers in state parks and preserves is prohibited. Enjoy them in place, take photos, and use an app like iNaturalist to identify and record what you find, so the blooms remain for wildlife and other families.
Turn Your Pennsylvania Adventure Into a Real Wildflower Exploration
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Wildflowers of Pennsylvania Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a wildflower tracker, fun facts about each species, flower category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.
Or get all four Pennsylvania nature books together — the Pennsylvania Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Pennsylvania activity books.
Also exploring Pennsylvania's nature? Read our family guides to Birds of Pennsylvania with Kids, Butterflies of Pennsylvania with Kids, and Leaves of Pennsylvania with Kids.
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