Missouri Department of Conservation

Wild and cultivated ginseng produce an annual crop in the United States and Canada valued in excess of $25 million, but overzealous collection is causing serious concern about the survival of American ginseng in the forest ecosystem.

Also called "pansy violet" and "hens and roosters," this spring wildflower can make a glade or bluff top heavenly with its pretty lavender and purple "faces." When you see your first big colony of bird's-foot violets, you will probably never forget it.

This early spring wildflower’s pure white petals are even more remarkable given the plant’s bright red sap. This feature, plus the unique leaf shape, make this plant hard to misidentify.

It has grasslike leaves, but it's not a grass. In fact, it's in the same family as the common garden iris! Four species of blue-eyed grass grow in Missouri, and this one, often found on prairies, glades and pastures, is the most common.