Many different individuals and organizations use wildflower seed, including home gardeners, landscapers, landscape architects, golf courses, amusement and theme parks, city, county, state and federal parks, highway departments, grass, flower and packet seed companies, universities, conservation groups, zoos, botanic gardens and restoration, re-vegetation and reclamation projects like mined lands, prairie and wetlands restoration projects.

The main uses of wildflowers are for beautification and erosion control. Wildflowers are often used by home gardeners as an alternative to bedding plants because they are less formal, more economical and require less water and maintenance. Annuals are effective for a one-year display; while perennials are planted as long-term flower gardens. The seed may be sown as individual species for blocks or swaths of color or alternatively as mixtures in many different themes: tall, low growing, shade, sun, moist or dry conditions, mountains, coastal areas, regional, color blends and many other parameters. The list is endless.

Landscaper contractors and architects use wildflowers in residential and commercial projects to bring the native look back into the urban environment. Golf courses use them around tees and greens for a touch of color, and they use them in out-of-plays areas to recreate the natural environment. Wildflowers are especially helpful in this regard to reduce water usage. Amusement and theme parks often use wildflowers to provide an inexpensive, colorful display to enhance the look of their entertainment facilities.

City, county, state and federal parks frequently use native flowers to enhance or replicate the native environment. Often they are concerned with beautification and emphasizing the native species many times requesting local ecotypes. Maintaining the natural ecology is a common goal of many public and non-profit organizations. Prairie restoration is a focus of many of these entities particularly in Midwestern states. But there are also a lot of private individuals and corporations that wish to recreate the natural prairie or native landscape. Many highway departments request wildflowers for erosion control and beautification. Some use natives to create an authentic local ecosystem. Others focus on beautification to make the highways exciting and interesting for the traveler. Many newspaper articles have been written about these beautiful displays. Conservation groups like the Nature Conservancy and various habitat groups have botanists on staff to recommend the use of native species and local ecotypes to enhance the appearance of their land.

Lots of universities, botanic gardens, zoos and other institutions have created wildflower display gardens to show the public how wildflowers can be used in home and commercial landscapes. Retail garden products often incorporate wildflower seeds to satisfy the home consumer’s desire for a native environment in their backyard.

Wildflowers have their own cultural needs and maintenance requirements. Many people still assume throwing out wildflower seed will result in a beautiful display with little or no effort. In most cases, this does not come true. Wildflowers installations, like all horticultural plantings, require care and attention, though less than many other types of plantings. Attention must be paid to weed control, water availability, mowing at the appropriate time of the year, re-seeding and maintaining a good balance of species, especially when mixtures are used. The care and maintenance of wildflowers is different from traditional bedding plants because they are usually planted in large areas where intensive care is unavailable or impractical. In general, wildflowers will thrive and produce a colorful display if they receive over 30 inches of rainfall during the growing season. If this is not available, ½ inch per week of irrigation will suffice. In general, wildflowers are planted in areas requiring a colorful display but a lower degree of expense and maintenance. They will meet this expectation as long as the above cultural practices are followed.