Photo by Judith Kozminski
Gaywings are a native, perennial wildflower in Wisconsin. They grow to a height of three to seven inches. They produce one to four deep pink to nearly white flowers. Each flower is less than an inch wide. The flowers have two oval sepals that look like petals and flare out like wings. The leaves are crowded toward the the tip of the stem. They are elliptic with toothless edges and often fringed with short hairs. They prefer part shade to shade and thrive in dry to moist rich woodlands, often under pines. (LS)