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USA Botany Trivia

USA Botany Trivia Quizzes

It's a big country, with a lot of different botany depending upon which part of it you're in. See what you know about the plants of the United States by playing the quizzes here.

18 USA Botany quizzes and 200 USA Botany trivia questions.

Missouri Nectar! top quiz

Photo Match

10 Qns

Butterfly Gardening

Have you ever wished that you could attract more butterflies to your yard? Well, in order to do that, you must cultivate both host plants and nectar plants. See if you can identify these nectar plants using one of their common names!

Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Nov 22 23

Average
ponycargirl editor

Nov 22 23
102 plays

Native Plants of New England popular trivia quiz

Photo Quiz

10 Qns

My quiz "Eating New England" was about indigenous foods that the Pilgrims found when they landed in America. This quiz is about native plants that were established before the Pilgrims got here. With photos to help you, see how many you recognize.

Average, 10 Qns, CmdrK, Jul 02 13

Average
CmdrK

837 plays

Missouri Springtime great trivia quiz

Photo Quiz

10 Qns

See if you can identify some of the first blooms of Spring in my home state of Missouri!

Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Mar 31 17

Average
ponycargirl editor

560 plays

Invasive Plants in North America great trivia quiz

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Invasive plants are plants that come from a different geographical area that displace native vegetation and disrupt habitats as they spread over time. These plants can become a serious ecological threat in the absence of natural predators and controls.

Average, 10 Qns, Janelle205, May 18 20

Average
Janelle205
May 18 20
696 plays

Plants of the Desert Southwest

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

The United States Southwest may be a desert region, but there still exists a wonderful variety of plants.

Average, 10 Qns, Leah457, Nov 30 13

Average
Leah457
634 plays

North American Wildflowers

Multiple Choice

25 Qns

This quiz is about the many plants belonging to the wildflower family. All of them are in North America.

Average, 25 Qns, Morrigan716, Jun 14 20

Average
Morrigan716

Jun 14 20
2283 plays

Yellow Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

There are more than just sunflowers out there! See if you recognize some of these yellow wildflowers.

Average, 10 Qns, littlepup, Nov 08 16

Average
littlepup
142 plays

Blue and Purple Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Some are sky blue, some are deep purple, and a lot are in between. See if you can recognize these wildflowers of the eastern U.S.

Average, 10 Qns, littlepup, Nov 12 16

Average
littlepup
153 plays

California's Native Plants: A Rich Diversity

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

California's rich native flora boasts over 6,000 species making it one of the most diverse and interesting plant regions in the world. What do you know about ten of the most popular species?

Tough, 10 Qns, webuffy, Sep 30 18

Tough
webuffy
Sep 30 18
431 plays

10.

Plants of the Big Thicket National Preserve

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Nestled in the piney woods of East Texas, the Big Thicket National Preserve has been called the biological crossroads of America because of the great diversity of life forms found there.

Average, 10 Qns, bethsch, Apr 13 09

Average
bethsch
407 plays

Quick Question

The lotion from this shrub is made from the bark.

From Quiz "North American Shrubs"

11.

White Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Big or small, spring, summer or fall, all these wildflowers or wild escapes in the eastern USA have white blossoms.

Average, 10 Qns, littlepup, Feb 17 17

Average
littlepup
150 plays

12.

North American Trees

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Here is another quiz about North American wildlife. This time trees.

Average, 10 Qns, Morrigan716, Jul 06 20

Average
Morrigan716

Jul 06 20
1760 plays

13.

Rhymes With Kudzu popular trivia quiz

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

While not many plants may rhyme with "kudzu", this quiz addresses plant life that is either indigenous to the Southern US or that may have been imported to the area from elsewhere. Enjoy the "tour" of our virtual "garden"!

Average, 10 Qns, logcrawler, May 08 19

Average
logcrawler

May 08 19
248 plays

14.

Pacific NW Tree Names

Multiple Choice

15 Qns

I give you the Latin name of a tree species, you pick the common name.

Average, 15 Qns, dicentra, Dec 07 06

Average
dicentra
583 plays

15.

North American Shrubs

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Shrubs are woody plants that are usually smaller than trees and have several stems instead of a trunk.

Tough, 10 Qns, Morrigan716, Jul 13 20

Tough
Morrigan716

Jul 13 20
718 plays

16.

Pacific Northwest Shrubs

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

All of these shrubs are commonly used in Pacific Northwest habitat restorations. I'll give the Latin name, you choose the correct common name.

Average, 10 Qns, Aimlu, Apr 13 09

Average
Aimlu
380 plays

17.

Midwestern Wetland Plants

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Wetlands are identified by hydrology, soils, and plants. Test how well you know Midwestern wetland plants.

Tough, 10 Qns, benrhess, Mar 15 18

Tough
benrhess
Mar 15 18
519 plays

18.

Northwest coastal wildflowers

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

The Northwest has beautiful oceans. This is a quiz about some of the wildflowers that live near them.

Tough, 10 Qns, dicentra, Dec 07 06

Tough
dicentra
454 plays

USA Botany Trivia Questions

1. Stalks of this bluish wildflower grow two feet high along roadsides, blooming in the summer with blossoms that look something like a small blue daisy or oversize aster. The roots are used to make a coffee substitute. What is it?

From Quiz Blue and Purple Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: chicory

The chicory with a tough stalk, growing wild along eastern U.S. roadsides, began as a wildflower in Europe, and has spread as far as North America, Australia and China. The blooms fade quickly, replaced with more the next day. Especially around New Orleans, the root historically has been roasted, ground and treated like coffee. More recently, it's been discovered to be naturally caffeine-free, with some other healthful ingredients too, but coffee connoisseurs still aren't convinced about the taste.

2. What little blooms show up in the fall, looking like tiny delicate daisies clustered on a knee-high plant? Other kinds are bluish purple.

From Quiz White Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: aster

Bees love asters as a late plant, when other blooms are fading. Asters are perennials, coming back each year from the root. There are many kinds, including calico asters that have white blooms with yellow or red centers, looking like calico cloth. They've also been bred to display as garden plants, and have been reclassified many times by botanists.

3. Vaccinium parvifolium often sprouts on western red cedar nurse logs.

From Quiz Pacific Northwest Shrubs

Answer: red huckleberry

The small orange to red berries are edible but very tart.

4. Rumors along Sunset Blvd. continue to report that a certain tall evergreen shrub in the rose family is how tinseltown got its name. Birds feasting on the bright red winter berries have no comment. Which infamous plant is it?

From Quiz California's Native Plants: A Rich Diversity

Answer: Toyon or Hollywood

Toyon, also known as Hollywood, gives a dramatic performance each November-December in the hills above Hollywood as well as throughout the state. It is grown in gardens here and Southern England as well as Hawaii. Its botanical name is Heteromeles arbutifolia. I made up the other choices. This is my first quiz and I admit that I really like making up the fake answers. I feel bad about that.

5. Equisetum, a non-seed bearing wetland plant that is sometimes known as scouring rush, is better known as:

From Quiz Midwestern Wetland Plants

Answer: horsetail

Equisetum is called scouring rush because pioneers sometimes used bundles of the stems to wash dishes.

6. It is a red and yellow flower in the buttercup family that sometimes attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

From Quiz Northwest coastal wildflowers

Answer: Columbine

Latin name: Aquilegia formosa

7. This wildflower has been used to treat dyspepsia, skin eruptions, and hemorrhage, and also a yellow dye and an insect repellent.

From Quiz North American Wildflowers

Answer: Goldenseal

Lewis and Clark described Goldenseal to Thomas Jefferson as a 'sovereign remedy for sore eyes.'

8. The lotion from this shrub is made from the bark.

From Quiz North American Shrubs

Answer: Witch-hazel

The name witch-hazel is not related to actual witches but comes from the Middle English word "wiche", meaning "pliant" or "bendable".

9. What is the western yellow pine more commonly known as?

From Quiz North American Trees

Answer: Ponderosa Pine

Pines are classified into two groups--the white, or soft pine, and the yellow, or hard pines.

10. What shy little shade-loving plant blooms in the spring, and gave its name to a shade of purple?

From Quiz Blue and Purple Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: violet

The shy little common violet (Viola odorata for example) can brighten shady spots in the spring, before grasses get higher and bushes spread, taking over. Edible violet blossoms can also be candied in the kitchen and preserved as a real flower to decorate cakes or cookies. There are numerous species of the genus Viola which can resemble the common violet, but Violas can also vary in color or appearance even though they're related, like Viola tricolor, called heartsease or wild pansy, which looks like a tiny pansy with light and dark purple, plus yellow, in its blooms.

11. A leafy stalk about 10"-18" high supports this pretty, pale yellow spring flower, which hangs downward like a bell. What is it?

From Quiz Yellow Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: bellwort

Bellwort, or uvularia, is difficult to see from a distance, because its pale yellow color blends with the green leaves, and the downward hanging aspect is unusual in flowers. It grows in shady, moist woodlands and comes in five species, which overlap where they grow and vary mainly in size and minor details. Some of the petals are twisted, creating less of a neatly round bell shape.

12. A spring bloomer in woods, what flower has three large white petals, with three matching leaves below them on each plant? There's a variety with dark red petals too.

From Quiz White Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: Trillium

Trilliums can cover a hillside with their welcoming spring blooms. They are perennials, but are easily damaged, so it's illegal to pick them in some states, and inadvisable in all. There are dozens of species, wild both in North America and Asia.

13. Rhododendron macrophyllum has evergreen (they don't fall off in winter) leaves and pink flowers.

From Quiz Pacific Northwest Shrubs

Answer: Pacific rhododendron

This evergreen shrub is Washington's state flower.

14. This spiky plant in the Agaveceae family is the state flower of New Mexico.

From Quiz Plants of the Desert Southwest

Answer: yucca

There are many different varieties of yucca including the soaptree, Joshua tree and Spanish bayonet.

15. This submergent wetland plant is insectivorous:

From Quiz Midwestern Wetland Plants

Answer: bladderwort

Pitcher plant is insectivorous, but is not submergent. Stinging nettle does not use its sting to capture insects.

16. Edible, but probably full of sand because it grows on the beach, this flower has white petals and produces a red fruit.

From Quiz Northwest coastal wildflowers

Answer: Beach strawberry

Latin name: Fragaria chiloensis

17. Algonquin Indians used it as a source of dye and applied it to their bodies and faces as ceremonial paint.

From Quiz North American Wildflowers

Answer: Bloodroot

They called it 'puccoon'.

18. What tiny blue flower is named for its habit of living 24 hours, then being replaced by another bloom, repeating all summer? It has two large sky-blue petals like Mickey Mouse ears, then a tiny third one in either blue or white.

From Quiz Blue and Purple Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: dayflower

Some people think dayflower is a noxious weed, while others think it's a delightful wildflower that just needs to be kept in bounds. A species native to India has a blue bottom petal, while an escapee from southeast Asia has a white bottom petal. Both are thoroughly naturalized in the US, so much that the Indian one was named Commelina caroliniana in the 1700s because surely it was native to the Carolina colonies. In fact, it had probably been introduced with rice seeds.

19. In late summer or fall, this daisy-like plant blooms in the wild as well as some gardens. What flower has yellow petals that are bright yellow around a blackish or dark brown central eye?

From Quiz Yellow Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: black-eyed susan

There are other names: brown-eyed susan, yellow daisy, brown betty, and more. The plant is a native wildflower in the eastern and central U.S., but it has been bred for gardens too, such as the commercial variety "Indian Summer." It is the state flower of Maryland. The Preakness, a triple-crown horserace held in Baltimore, Maryland in May, awards the winner a blanket of Viking Poms, cultivated chrysanthemums that look like black-eyed susans, because the real flowers won't be blooming until fall.

20. This spring bloomer, maybe 6-10" high, has a stalk with tiny white bells on it, that arcs up between its large leaves. People grow it in gardens too, but be careful--it's poisonous!

From Quiz White Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: lily of the valley

The lily of the valley is poisonous, including the reddish-orange berries which appear after the blooms. It's native to Europe and Asia, and scientists think North Amerca also, but aren't sure. A few varieties are cultivated for gardens, including a pink one.

21. What is the common name for an evergreen tree that is indigenous to the southern U.S. and has white blossoms that can be as large as twelve inches in diameter?

From Quiz Rhymes With Kudzu

Answer: Southern Magnolia

The Southern Magnolia is native to the southern United States, regionally growing prolifically from Virginia southward to Florida and westward to Oklahoma. It is also known as Bull Bay and as Magnolia grandiflora, a name meaning great flower. The large snowy white flowers of the magnolia are lemon-scented and can get as large as twelve inches in diameter. The tree itself can grow rather large, with one particular specimen in Mississippi reaching a height of 122 feet! Its large glossy leaves provide an excellent shade and it is so popular throughout the region that it has been proclaimed the state flower of Louisiana and designated as the state tree of Mississippi.

22. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi also has evergreen leaves and grows as a ground-cover.

From Quiz Pacific Northwest Shrubs

Answer: kinnikinnick

This Pacific Northwest native is also known as bearberry.

23. One pesky plant of the genus Salsola is almost iconic of the region, but it actually invaded from as far away as Asia. This is one nuisance that really seems to get around.

From Quiz Plants of the Desert Southwest

Answer: tumbleweed

During the frequent windstorms in the southwest, the wind blows the tumbleweeds into the streets where they can collect and create driving hazards.

24. This wetland plant was named for its odor, and can actually produce its own heat:

From Quiz Midwestern Wetland Plants

Answer: skunk cabbage

The skunk cabbage is often the first flower of spring. The warm, hood-like spathe is a refuge for early insects.

25. This flower has sticky leaves and yellow daisy-like flowers. Its buds, before blooming, have a very distinctive shape.

From Quiz Northwest coastal wildflowers

Answer: Beach gumweed

Latin name: Grindelia stricta

26. The ancient Indians of Mexico and Texas called these soft cacti 'mezcal'.

From Quiz North American Wildflowers

Answer: Peyote

Their use is now illegal except as part of the religious rites of the Native American Church.

27. Which group of shrubs do blackberries, raspberries, and dewberries belong to?

From Quiz North American Shrubs

Answer: Brambles

Brambles are closely related to the rose family and also have thorns.

28. What dark purple wildflower grows three feet tall or more in fields, its bloom showing at the top of the stalk in late summer? It's named for the toughness of its stalks.

From Quiz Blue and Purple Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: ironweed

Ironweed (a species of the Vernonia genus) annoys both botanists and farmers. There are a thousand or more species of Vernonia worldwide that hybridize where their ranges overlap, so botanists need to struggle to keep up with new species. Horses and cows won't eat ironweed, leaving it standing in late summer where it can bloom and eventually spread more seeds in farmers' fields. If you're neither a botanist or farmer, you can just enjoy it as a very purple, very big wildflower as you drive or walk by fall fields.

29. This little yellow five-petaled wildflower blooms in grassy summer fields, but it's poisonous to grazing animals. The petals are unusually shiny, with a wax-coated look, and form an upright cup shape. What is it?

From Quiz Yellow Wildflowers of the Eastern US

Answer: buttercup

Buttercups apparently taste terrible, so animals avoid them unless put on an overgrazed pasture with more buttercups than grass. The little flowers should be avoided by humans as well, because a lot of handling can cause contact dermatitis. Everyone's grandmother--well, mine at least--may insist that you go through a ritual, holding a buttercup bloom under your chin. If it reflects yellow, that means you like butter. The superstition seems bound to work. The shiny blooms reflect the color easily, and who doesn't like butter? Well, some people probably don't, but then some blooms are probably not as shiny.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:02 AM

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