The common milkweed is underrated as a spectacular wildflower, with its fireworks-like spray of fragrant flowers that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Many milkweed species are blooming this week.

The humble roughleaf dogwood shrub has begun blooming, spectacular in its own right, often overlooked compared to the flowering dogwood. Its flowers certainly got the attention of this summer azure butterfly.

This giant swallowtail was busy checking each verbena blossom. There are increasing numbers of butterflies with more nectar to drink; you can either try to follow a pollinator or just watch a cluster of flowers and see who comes by.

This carpenter bee is enjoying the nectar from the spider milkweed in Lexington Park in Johnson County.

Spiderworts are heralding the beginning of the next stage of prairie wildflowers. This is when the small wildflowers finish up and are replaced by taller species that stay above the newly greening prairie grasses or are shaded out in the woods.

Prairies have spring ephemerals, as evidenced by this lovely wild hyacinth, which is in the lily family in the eastern quarter of the state.