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Wildflowers of New England facts for kids

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New England is a beautiful region in the northeastern United States. It's home to many amazing wildflowers! Wildflowers are plants that grow naturally in the wild, without people planting them. This article will tell you about some of the cool wildflowers you can find here.

Wildflowers of New England

Wildflowers grow in many different places across New England. These areas are like different neighborhoods for plants. The main types of places where wildflowers live are:

  • Alpine areas: These are high-up, cold, and windy mountain tops.
  • Coniferous forests: These forests are full of evergreen trees like pines and spruces.
  • Northern hardwood forests: These forests have trees that lose their leaves in the fall, like maple and oak.
  • Wetlands: These are areas where the ground is wet for most of the year. Wetlands can be:

* Bogs: Spongy, wet areas often with moss. * Swamps: Wet areas with trees and shrubs. * Bottomlands: Low-lying lands, often near rivers, that can flood.

These different "neighborhoods" mean New England has a huge variety of wildflowers!

Protecting Wildflowers

Wildflowers in New England face some big challenges. The two main threats are Habitat loss and invasive species.

Habitat Loss

Habitat loss happens when the places where wildflowers grow naturally are destroyed or changed. This can happen when land is cleared for buildings, roads, or farms. When a wildflower's habitat is gone, it has nowhere to live and grow.

Invasive Species

Invasive species are plants (or animals) that are brought into a new area, often by people, and then spread very quickly. They can take over the space and resources that native wildflowers need. This makes it hard for the native plants to survive.

Some invasive plants that threaten New England wildflowers include:

  • Purple Loosestrife: A tall plant with bright purple flowers.
  • Garlic Mustard: A plant that smells like garlic and spreads very fast.
  • Multiflora Rose: A thorny bush that can grow into dense thickets.

It's important to protect these beautiful native wildflowers so they can continue to thrive in New England!

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