10 Beautiful Michigan Wildflowers to Find On Your Next Hike
Michigan is home to a plethora of different nature trails, where the natural beauty of the state is easily found. These trails are home to various different kinds of life, whether it’s a white-tailed deer or wild mushrooms, Michigan’s woods are filled with wildlife that can only be here. One of the best parts of Michigan’s natural landscape is the diverse variety of wildflowers that can found throughout Michigan. While there is a seemingly limitless amount of beautiful wildflowers, make sure to keep an eye out for these ones while on your next hike.
1. Black Eyed Susan
This flower can easily be seen sprinkled around the edge of many Michigan roadsides or trails. Black-Eyed Susan’s are wildflowers traditionally native to meadows, but due to their hardiness, they’re able to flourish in virtually any place with lots of sunlight. The popularity of the Black-Eyed Susan has skyrocketed with gardeners and because of this they have become an ever increasingly common site in garden beds. Black-Eyed Susan’s are one of the most common wildflowers in Michigan, but with its’ golden yellow petals it’s also one of the most striking wildflowers as well. Don’t overlook the beauty of a Black-Eyed Susan, there is a reason why this flower is so popular, both in nature and in flower beds.
2. Dwarf Lake Iris
The Dwarf Lake Iris is a stunning wildflower that is only found in the Great Lakes Region. Unlike many other wildflowers, the Dwarf Lake Iris is a relatively rare find. Despite its’ importance in Michigan’s natural landscape, this wildflower is unfortunately a threatened and endangered species. Even without human interaction the Dwarf Lake Iris is uncommon, but their unique color has charmed so many people that it has become over picked. There has been considerable efforts in the past few decades to preserve the Dwarf Lake Iris and the Lake Michigan shoreline that it is home to. The Dwarf Lake Iris has been such a strong symbol of the natural beauty of Michigan that in 1998 it was officially made Michigan’s state wildflower.
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Photo from Michigan Wildflowers
3. Purple Coneflower
Like the name suggests, the Purple Coneflower is a wildflower that is most commonly found in shades of purple and the petals themselves are downturned from the pistil creating a unique cone shape. Similar to the Black-Eyed Susan, the Purple Coneflower can be found just as commonly in nature as in local garden beds. While the Purple Coneflower has historically occurred naturally in fields or on roadsides, this has become rarer and rarer throughout the years. There is evidence from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the Purple Coneflower species no longer occurs as a wildflower in Michigan. However, it remains a popular choice for Michigan gardens.
4. Blazing Star
The Blazing Star wildflower is an attention grabbing wildflower that truly lives up to its name. It is most commonly found in prairies, fields, and dry, wooded areas. The petals are a lovely lilac shade and feather out, giving off an ethereal presence when witnessed on any hike. Another mystical element of the Blazing Star is its’ particularly high abundance after a fire. The Blazing Star uses the vitamins and nutrients that has been left behind in the ashes that the fire has created. The Blazing Star really proves that even in the after math of destruction, beauty can still be found.
5. Trillium
The Trillium is another wildflower that has multiple different kinds of genus and variations within those separate genus. With all of the different variations of Trillium, there is one that stands out more than the rest. The large-flowered Trillium is the most common Trillium variation in Michigan. This wildflower has three, white, and pleated petals that are usually large. Trillium has traditionally been an extremely popular and at one point was picked by hikers so often that it was endangered of extinction. Because of this history it is now Michigan law that it is illegal to pick them. Even just picking the flower portion of the plant will take years for it to grow back.
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6. Butterfly Weed
Like the name of the Butterfly Weed, also known as orange milkweed, wildflower suggests, it strongly attracts different variations of butterflies. The Butterfly Weed blooms during the middle of the summer, around the time that butterflies first begin to emerge from their cocoons. The Butterfly Weed in Michigan is exclusive to the southern parts of Michigan. The Butterfly Weed is from the Milkweed family so it also attracts the same pollinators as Milkweed beyond just butterflies. Bumble bees and hummingbirds are also quite fond of Butterfly Weeds as well. If hikers are lucky enough to find a Butterfly Weed, there is always a chance that a Monarch butterfly or a hummingbird is stopping by.
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Photo From Michigan Wildflowers
7. Sharp-Lobed Hepatica
The Sharp-Lobed Hepatica is always one of the earliest woodland wildflower to bloom during the spring season. When Sharp-Lobed Hepatica flower first blooms during spring the petals are a soft lavender shade and as spring begins to turn into summer the petals will change into a darker shade of violet. Despite their early bloom, the Sharp-Lobed Hepatica still remains in bloom well into the autumn months. Sharp-Lobed Hepaticas flourish in wooded areas that have plenty of shade, which of course, makes them look particularly stunning in the forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Sharp-Lobed Hepaticas are at their most striking during the fall months, as the leaves begin to change colors and most of the other wildflowers have withered away.
Photo from Michigan Wildflowers
8. False Solomon
The False Solomon wildflower is another flower that is found in woodlands and forests and are quite fond shady spots. False Solomon is astonishingly similar to the Lily of the Valley. Just like how Lily of the Valley likes to sprawl out and grow all over the place, so does False Solomon. Even the actual flowers of False Solomon and Lily of the Valley are very similar in both size and color. False Solomon is most commonly small white buds the bloom quite close to each other with leaves and vines separating the different bunches of flowers. False Solomon is essentially the wildflower version of Lily of the Valley. False Solomon adores shades and rocky soil, which makes more Northern parts of Michigan great for this wildflower.
Photo from Michigan Wildflowers
9. Indian Paintbrush
The Indian Paintbrush is a wildflower that has been long ingrained within Native American culture. Native American tribes that resided in present day Michigan and neighboring land utilized the properties of the Indian Paintbrush for a multitude of different uses. The flowers and petals of the Indian Paintbrush are edible and have been used in traditional Native American cuisine. The edible parts of the Indian Paintbrush are most commonly utilized as a condiment of sorts with other fresh, leafy greens. Indian Paintbrush flowers have similar health benefits as garlic when eaten in moderation. However, the roots and the green stems and leaves of the plant are extremely toxic. In addition to the usage of the flower of the Indian Paintbrush in cooking, it has also been used in traditional Native American medicine as well. The fiery red petals of the Indian Paintbrush also gave it the popular moniker prairie fire.
Photo from Michigan Wildflowers
10. Smooth Aster
Smooth Aster, also known as the Smooth Blue Aster, is an attractive flower that just projects an essence of innocence and purity. Smooth Aster is a common sight in the open fields and meadows of the most rural parts of Michigan. The petals of the Smooth Aster range from a soft periwinkle to a light lilac, which adds a sprinkle of shades of blue in a sea of green. The petals and the leaves themselves are soft and smooth to the touch, unlike other Aster flowers that are rough. Another unique aspect of the Smooth Aster is the pistil that changes from a bright yellow into a reddish brown color as the summer goes on. Smooth Aster is another of those rare wildflowers that stay in bloom long past the summer months, even as frost begins to creep over the ground.
Photo from Michigan Wildflowers
Wildflowers as Inspiration
Nature has long been an inspiration to people, especially when it comes to their artistic inspiration and work. Painters love painting wildflowers and their natural surroundings; poets love using flowers as analogies for love; nature is art. Even the creation of cosmetics are not immune to the expansive influences that Mother Nature has. In particular, KC of Northern Nail Polish has been inspired by some of the most beautiful wildflowers that Michigan has to offer.
The shade, Trillium, is a stark white polish inspired by the petals of the Trillium flower. The Trillium polish is a staple color for anyone who loves painting their nails and even is great when creating more elaborate nail designs.
Beyond the staple white Trillium shade, Northern Nail Polish also has a stunning metallic lavender shade with a silvery base. This shade is named after Michigan’s very own state wildflower- the Dwarf Lake Iris. Make sure to check out these wildflower inspired shades at Northern Nail Polish’s website or follow the links down below;
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