Wildflowers
Manassas National Battlefield Park
NPS Photo
NPS Photo Chicory
Wildflowers are angiosperms, meaning that they are vascular, flowering plants that produce seed. Blooming wildflowers acquaint one's senses with the coming of spring at Manassas National Battlefield. Persisting through the open fields and under the forest canopies, the wildflowers provide breathtaking views and enchanting smells throughout the park.
Please do not pick the wildflowers! Picking wildflowers not only denies others the opportunity to admire their beauty, but it also threatens the existence of the plant and is illegal in all National Park units. It is also illegal to collect seeds from wildflowers. 
NPS Photo CommonMilkweed
Common milkweed is crucial to the life of monarch butterflies. Monarch's are tolerant to the toxins in the milky sap of the plant and feed on milkweed during their larval stage. As the butterflies accumulate the toxins, they become bitter and undesirable to predators. 
The common selfheal is a member of the mint family, lamiaceae. This perennial herb has been noted for its medicinal uses.
NPS Photo
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Did You Know?
Congressman Alfred Ely, representing upstate New York, was captured by pursuing Confederates during the retreat after First Manassas. Ely spent five months in Libby Prison in Richmond, before being released. He returned to Washington and published an account of his experience the following year.