Medley says the bluebonnet is a really important plant beyond serving as the state flower of Texas. Its roots work with a soil bacteria, rhizobium, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into a form that’s usable by other plants through a process called nitrogen fixation. This is key to the growth and health of a plant.

This flower, also known as scarlet paintbrush, is green at the petal base and typically red at the ends, but sometimes has a mix of light yellow or white colors when it blooms. And it’s a bit of a thief: The paintbrush is hemiparasitic, so it can penetrate a nearby plant’s roots and steal nutrients. This wildflower blooms around the same time as the bluebonnet.

This pink, cheery flower will let you know when it’s had enough. The rock rose’s petals will open in the morning and close up in the early afternoon when the heat is at an all-time high. Like many other wildflowers, it’s extremely adaptable to its conditions.

“People know this one sometimes as buttercups, because the pollen on the pistils of the flower is really buttery yellow,” Medley says. “So, if you get your nose in there and smell it, you’ll get some powdery pollen on your nose.” Birds eat the seed capsules of this wildflower, and humans can even cook the greens or eat them fresh in salads.

Medley says this wildflower’s beauty is all within its contrasting colors. And with petals that are the same colors as a flame, it makes sense that it’s called firewheel. If you come across one that is perfectly round with a puffy seed head, congrats: You’ve seen it reach its full potential.

You may remember from elementary school that this flower is crucial to the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. Although it’s poisonous for most wildlife, this plant serves as a host for monarch caterpillars, which are immune to its toxins. Feeding off the plant helps them survive, in part because it makes a caterpillar poisonous to predators.

With its shape and colorful head, this flower resembles a sombrero. But the coolest fact about the wildflower? The Lakota tribe uses its stems and leaves for medicinal teas that treat headaches, stomachaches, and fevers. “This one is really cute, and you’ll see it on the roadside as well,” Medley says.

If patience isn’t your strong suit, this wildflower might not be your thing. The plant is a biennial, so it takes two years to complete its flowering cycle. The first year of life, the standing cypress will grow low to the ground, then in its second year it will bloom and set seeds, growing up to six feet tall.

Despite its name, this cannot be used to treat the smelly breath of a horse. The horsemint is mostly popular among pollinators, so bees and butterflies love it. However, we humans have found a use for it, too: It’s commonly employed as an herbal medicine to help with digestion.

This yellow flower is quite the spectacle. Because of its ability to survive in drought conditions, it’s commonly seen on roadsides. Medley notes, though, that just because a flower is drought-tolerant doesn’t mean that it won’t need water to grow and germinate—it just doesn’t need an excess amount.

We promise no one is in any danger here. This wildflower in the daisy family is a helpful larvae host plant to two butterflies: the gorgone checkerspot and the bordered patch. Medley says this wildflower shows up in people’s gardens; not only is it a pretty addition, but it also helps our insect friends.

This vibrant magenta-colored flower looks a bit like a wineglass. But it also grows a large taproot, like a parsnip; if most of the root has been preserved, it can easily be transplanted in your garden.

You know the saying—April showers bring May flowers, and boy, that is so true for this wildflower, which blooms in response to rain. After a good soaking, it will bloom for two or three days, then go back into hiding underground until the next round of showers.

The Texas thistle follows the cycle of our ecosystem perfectly. Bumblebees are drawn to the blossoms, larvae of the painted-lady butterfly feed off the foliage, and the beautiful goldfinch bird eats the seeds and uses the flower’s fluff of ripened seeds in its nest.

This wildflower, which boasts a gorgeous red and yellow color, has historically been used as dye in cotton and linen fabric. Like many other flowers, the upper portion of the roots can be dried and used for tea.