wildflower
Americannoun
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the flower of a plant that normally grows in fields, forests, etc., without deliberate cultivation.
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the plant itself.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wildflower
Explanation
Blossoming plants that flourish without anyone having deliberately planted them are wildflowers. The tiny daisies, spiky blue lupine, and yellow California poppies you see along the side of the highway are all wildflowers. The thing wildflowers have in common is that they're flowering plants which grow wild, spreading freely in open fields, meadows, forests, or dunes. While many wildflowers are native plants that have thrived in a particular region over generations, some are cultivated plants which spread from people's yards and gardens into wild areas. The next time you see little purple asters along a hiking trail, or clumps of seaside goldenrod near the beach, you'll know you're looking at wildflowers.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If you’re willing to splurge, Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection, offers plush cabins for around $2,200 a night, which will also grant you access to group movement classes and other activities.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell won the coveted category for "Wildflower", a result that surprised some observers in a crowded field.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
Billie Eilish, winning song of the year for Wildflower, added her voice.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
Rule of thumb: Wildflower blooms are triggered by warming temperatures, so desert areas will see blooms earlier than higher elevations.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2025
No small piece has more admirers than this sweet and merry little "Wildflower."
From The Sculpture and Mural Decorations of the Exposition A Pictorial Survey of the Art of the Panama-Pacific international exposition by Perry, Stella George Stern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
