We received hundreds of stunning entries in the 2026 Wild Ones Photo Contest! By sharing their photographs, participants help Wild Ones advance its mission of promoting native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaborative action.
Wild Ones uses contest images in publications, promotional materials, presentations, and on our websites to inspire others to learn about native plants and natural landscaping.
We were proud to have the 2026 Photo Contest judged by the following volunteers:
- David Silsbee – Retired teacher who now has time to be a naturalist and nature photographer.
- Nancy House – Artist and photographer with a Ph.D. in Visual Arts & Education.
- Holly Latteman – Wild Ones National Board Director and Science & Conservation Manager at The Dawes Arboretum.
- Denise Valentin – Aspiring environmental writer, Florida Master Naturalist, wildlife and nature photographer, and native plant wildlife garden aficionado.
- Sven Anderson – Art Professor, instructor for professional landscape photography workshops at the Ansel Adams Gallery, and all-around nice guy.
- Sandi Ford – Professional photographer and native plant enthusiast.
Thank you to everyone who entered, voted, and helped make the 2026 Photo Contest a success!
Best in Show
First Place: “Hummingbird in White Turtlehead” – Cheri Magrini
Location: Woodstock, IL
In this Photo: Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) on White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
Photo Story: I have lots of white turtleheads. Once they bloom, I spend hours hiding and using my zoom lens to capture hummingbirds.
Second Place: “Chipmunk gets a cup plant snack” – Catherine McKenzie
Location: Appleton, WI
In this Photo: Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Photo Story: Every year I look forward to seeing the adorable acrobatic antics of the chipmunks on a hunt for cup plant seeds. Cup plants are like ecosystems unto themselves, providing water in their little cups, seeds, nectar, pollen, and shelter for so many creatures!
Third Place: “Pussytoes” – Joella Krause
Location: Geneseo, IL
In this Photo: Field Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta)
Photo Story: These tiny fuzzy blooms arrive each spring, and I look forward to capturing them with my lens!
People’s Choice Award
People’s Choice Winner: “Egg and Caterpillar” – Angela Myers
Location: Sevierville, TN
In this Photo: Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) and Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Photo Story: When passionflower plants appeared in our yard, I began observing and photographing them. I was lucky enough to capture a caterpillar and an egg right next to each other!
Category: Connecting People & Native Plants
First Place: “Prairie Tour” – Renee Benage
Location: Sedalia, MO
In this Photo: Multiple prairie species, most visibly Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Photo Story: Members of the Missouri Native Plant Society gathered in Sedalia in June 2026 to visit several nearby prairies. This photo was taken on private property that includes remnant and restored prairie.
Second Place: “Through a different lens” – Becky McKimmy
Location: Lexington, VA
In this Photo: Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense)
Photo Story: I normally mountain bike the trail to Pete’s Cave just outside of Lexington, VA, but due to a wrist injury, I hiked it with my husband instead. It was a rare opportunity to experience something so familiar in a novel way.
Third Place: “It’s a Family Affair” – Kelly Stanesa
Location: Rochester Hills, MI
In this Photo: Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea), American Hazelnut (Corylus americana), and Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
Photo Story: This family spent time on a beautiful May morning shopping for a shrub at the North Oakland Wild Ones native plant sale.
Category: Native & Community Landscapes
First Place: “Pollinator Portal” – Kevin O’Brien
Location: Lorain, OH
In this Photo: Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberrima) and Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Photo Story: This window in the stone gives a view of what lies beyond the wall. This pollinator garden at Willow Park inspires and delights, and this early summer moment was fun to capture.
Second Place: “Native Wildflowers” – Tom Scheidt
Location: Prairie City, IA
In this Photo: Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta), and Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Photo Story: I was at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. That afternoon, we did not venture from the car as we watched three tornadoes pass by miles to the north. But I was able to photograph this amazing display of Butterfly Milkweed, Hoary Vervain, and Pale Purple Coneflower.
Third Place: “The Detroit River in Late Summer” – Kelly Stanesa
Location: Detroit, MI
In this Photo: Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Photo Story: William G. Milliken State Park along the Detroit River offers elevated views of both Detroit and Canada from a native-planted hilltop.
Category: Native Plants Year-Round
First Place: “Biological Hotspot” – Dianne Slotten
Location: Tucson, AZ
In this Photo: Arizona Sycamore (Platanus wrightii)
Photo Story: The Arizona Sycamore (Platanus wrightii) plays a critical, foundational role in southwestern riparian ecosystems. Because these trees grow along streams and canyon bottoms where water is present, they act as biological hotspots in an otherwise arid landscape.
Second Place: “Fern unfurling” – Catherine McKenzie
Location: Appleton, WI
In this Photo: Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Photo Story: The detail in an unfurling fern is always worth a closer look. This ostrich fern is heralding spring, finally, after a long, cold Wisconsin winter.
Third Place: “Saguaro Snow” – Dianne Slotten
Location: Tucson, AZ
In this Photo: Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)
Photo Story: Seeing a blanket of snow on the saguaros is an exciting and unusual sight. While saguaros are built for blistering heat, rare winter snow events shape the ecosystem of the Tucson Basin and its surrounding mountains in several important ways.
Category: Fauna
First Place: “Bumblebee” – Jill Bauer
Location: Saint Paul, MN
In this Photo: Bumblebee (Bombus sp.) on Blazing Star (Liatris sp.)
Photo Story: This lovely little bumblebee was busy pollinating a Liatris plant, also known as blazing star or gayfeather. I love how the plant was long and tall, with the bee perched at the very top, doing its work.
Second Place: “Gray Tree Frog” – Catherine Nahas
Location: Kirtland, OH
In this Photo: Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor or Dryophytes chrysoscelis), Crab Spider (family Thomisidae), and Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Photo Story: Every mid-August, gray treefrogs venture down from the trees onto black-eyed Susans. This probably occurs at night as they position themselves to capture unwary insect pollinators. In the early morning, many of the frogs are still on the flowers.
In this instance, the frog was on a petal, facing the flower’s cone. I moved the stem very slightly to bring the flower into direct sunlight and enhance the photo. When the flower moved, the frog must have felt unstable and climbed to the top of the cone, providing this unusual photo. A crab spider also on the flower was a bonus.
Third Place: “Winter Backyard Cardinal” – Barbara DeGraves
Location: Bowling Green, KY
In this Photo: Female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) and Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Photo Story: Near our back patio, this wet female cardinal found an icy perch in a Virginia sweetspire shrub. We had one of the worst sleet-to-ice storms I have ever experienced this past winter. Although it was freezing outside, the ice-coated trees and shrubs made for a spectacular winter landscape.
Category: Flora
First Place: “Spiderwort” – Erin McChesney
Location: Gray Summit, MO
In this Photo: Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp.)
Photo Story: After learning that spiderwort flowers typically last just one day, I set out to capture one in its fullest glory.
Second Place: “Prairie Sunflower in the Wind” – Forrest McCracken
Location: Corpus Christi, TX
In this Photo: Prairie Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)
Photo Story: While walking through the Gulf Coast Prairie, to my delight, I came across a magnificent patch of prairie sunflowers at Oso Bay.
Third Place: “In the Spotlight” – John Groeger
Location: Crownsville, MD
In this Photo: Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) and Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)
Photo Story: This bumblebee ended up in the spotlight on an aromatic aster. I like to imagine the sun’s rays helped it see the last bits of pollen on this flower.
Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you to everyone who shared their photography with us! Your images help inspire appreciation for native plants, wildlife, and the natural landscapes that connect us.
Special thanks to New Directions in the American Landscape, Prairie Nursery and Izel Native Plants for their generous donation of prizes!
