Joshua Fasalojo

4/22/19

Biology

Wildflower Lab

The purpose of the Wildflower project was an introduction to our studies of evolution and

ecology. We will be examining the diversity of life on Earth through these flowers. The project

relates to our in class work, by tying in an organism's reaction to its ecosystem. Based on cause

and effect, stability and change, and structure and function. I have been picking most of my

flowers here at school in Ashton, Sandy Spring, nearby in Silver Spring, Maryland and finally

back home in Rockville. Some questions I had are: Am I picking a Wildflower or a planted

flower? What type of environment do Wildflowers like to bloom in? Why do specific

wildflowers bloom at specific times? How do wildflowers even respond to their environment?

Some materials I used for this project were ziploc bags, pens, notecards, heavy books , paper

towels and my​ Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide.

I found a rhythm for picking the flowers, usually during Freshman Seminar or Academic

Help. I usually collected my flowers myself, however I would go out with a group of friends and

we would help each other to pick. Someone would notice a flower, while the others would try to

identify the flower. If we could not find the three digit code we would use a identification app.

After identifying a flower, I would wrap the flower in a paper towel so the paper towel would

absorb the moisture from the flower. After, I would note the information of the flower on a

notecard placing the flower on its respective page in the book. After several days the flower has

now dried. I used a family photo album to mount my flowers. The pages were laminated and
sticky on both sides allowing for the flowers to be easily visible and rest on each page. I

decorated my album by naming it ​Joshua’s Flower Collection, ​and​ c​ olor coding the flowers by

family and putting them in alphabetical order. To add a creative aspect. My labels were placed

either in the corner of each page or around the flower.

Initially I was not expecting things to be simple. I did not think I would be comfortable

going into the woods. I feared being stung and bitten. It is very possible even though everyone

makes it seem hard, it turned out better than my expectations. Not only did I learn about

Wildflowers it took me out of my comfort zone and exercised my patience. One main challenge I

had was time management and procrastination, putting down my phone and going out to collect

flowers. Even though I met most of the requirements at the check-ins sometimes I was rushed. I

would definitely pick more than one flower at time when I go out to pick rather than one for a

better variety. One thing that surprisingly went well was my organization. I was expecting to lose

several of my flowers or for them to break but that was not the case. One trick I learned was that

identification apps made identifying easier for the flowers that were indistinguishable. I enjoyed

spending time with my friends and going out to pick, however I disliked the population of bugs

among the flowers. Some trends in my data were that wildflowers are more common in natural

environments than man made. Bigger flowers are more common farther in the woods. Whereas

buttercups and smaller tend to bloom in open fields. My most common flowers were from the

Composite family.

Finally, I would not have been able to answer most of my questions based on the data I

collected only because my questions were based on probability, or science. However, after

looking at my data again, I now know the difference between a live wildflower and a planted
flower. I also know now that wildflowers like environments that are peaceful, and not very

populated. With an accessible water source like a creek. My final questions are : Why does it

take so long for certain flowers so to bloom? Are wildflowers common in different seasons such

as Fall and Winter? Why are most of the flowers on campus petite and small? I noticed it was

more common for smaller flowers to bloom out in the open, such as dandelions, buttercups and

volets. Larger flowers like the Toad Trillium tended to be hid far away deep in the woods.