My definition of a wild flower any flowering plant that some person hasn't genetically altered. I'm sure there is a real definition somewhere but this one fits my backyard. The wildflower standout in my gardens this year is the Carolina wild petunia. It isn't actually a petunia but its flowers look like small petunias so somewhere in time, the name stuck.
Carolina wild petunias are extremely hardy--you will see them growing in ditches or woodland margins. They thrive with or without rain, are happy in almost any kind of soil and require no special nutrients. They are officially a perennial but reseed politely in the garden. They bloom all summer with bright, one-inch purple flowers that do look like petunias, but without all the work of dead heading and watering that true petunias require.
According to the National Wild Flower Database, seeds and plants are available for purchase but I have never seen them in a garden center or in a catalog. I rescued my first wild petunias out of a ditch and transplanted them into my shade garden. They have spread themselves about and are a welcome addition anywhere in my gardens.
I nominate the Carolina wild petunia for the 2015 Wildflower of the Year!
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