Common Wildflowers ofMichigan's Upper Peninsula
Common Wildflowers of
Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Welcome!
This list is arranged by the season of the year and is intended for those somewhat familiar with wildflowers. Use it as a check-list or to narrow your choices in the field guides. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula harbors many different plant communities. Some plants occur almost everywhere, while others are adapted to very specific habitats. This list was assembed by a variety of organizations. See the end of this page for references.
Early Spring (May
through early June)
Early Summer (June through early July)
Mid-summer (Late June through September)
Mid-summer Roadside Walk (dry open areas)
Mid-summer Open Bogs
Aquatic, Marshes, and Wet Ditches
Early Spring (May through early June)
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Habitat |
|
Anemone, Woods Bellwort, Large-flowered Bloodroot Blue Cohosh Canada Mayflower Dutchman’s Breeches False Solomon’s Seal Gill-Over-the-Ground Ginseng, dwarf Goldthread Hepatica Heart-leaved Twayblade Jack-in-the-Pulpit Lily, Bluebead Lily, Trout Marsh Marigold Pipissewa Rosy Twisted Stalk Solomon’s Seal Spring Beauty Squirrel Corn Starflower Strawberry Strawberry, Barren Ground Trailing Arbutus Trillium, Large-flowered Twin Flower Violet, Blue Violet, Canada Violet, Downy Yellow Wild Ginger Wild Leek Wild Sarsaparilla Wood Betony |
Anemone quinquifolia Uvularia grandiflora Sanguinaria canadensis Caulophyllum thalictroides Maianthemum canadense Dicentra cucullaria Smilacina racemosa Glechoma hederacea Panax trifolium Coptis trifolia Hepatica americana Listera cordata Arisaema triphyllum Clintonia borealis Erythronium americanum Caltha palustris Chimophila umbellata Streptopus roseus Polygonatum pubescens Claytonia caroliniana Dicentra canadensis Trientalis borealis Fragaria virginiana Waldsteinia fragaroides Epigaea repens Trillium grandiflorum Linnaea borealis Viola spp. Viola canadensis Viola pubescens Asarum canadense Allium tricoccum Aralia nudicaulis Pedicularis canadensis |
open woods, thickets moist woods rich deciduous woods very rich deciduous woods common, conifer & hardwoods very rich deciduous woods deciduous woods disturbed soil – European exotic rich moist woods cool cedar, hemlock woods deciduous woods, acid soil mossy cedar woods rich moist woods moist woods, acid soil rich woods wet soil streams & ditches dry mixed woods deciduous woods deciduous woods moist deciduous woods very rich deciduous woods cool woods, common open fields, dry soil thickets, clearings, sandy soil conifer woods, sandy, acid soil moist woods cedar woods moist woods & meadows moist woods rich woods rich deciduous woods very rich woods moist woods open woods, old roads |
Early Summer (June through early July)
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Habitat |
|
Bishop’s Cap Blue-eyed Grass Bunchberry Buttercup, Tall Columbine Enchanter’s Nightshade Forget-Me-Not Fringed Polygala Ladyslipper, Pink Ladyslipper, Showy Ladyslipper, Yellow Orchid, N. Bog Silverweed Trillium Nodding Wintergreen |
Mitella diphylla Sisyrinchium spp. Cornus canadensis Ranunculus acris* Aquilegia canadensis Circaea spp. Myosotis spp. Polygala paucifolia Cypripedium acaule Cypripedium reginae Cypripedium calceolus Platanthera hyperborea Potentilla anserina Trillium cernuum Gaultheria procumbens |
rich woods meadows and shores moist woods, common disturbed areas-European exotic open woods, rocky slopes rich woods sunny stream borders rich, moist deciduous or conifer woods conifer bogs, pine woods cedar swamps bogs, moist woods, shady swamps alder thickets, cedar swamps sandy beaches, roadsides deciduous woods, acid soil deciduous or conifer woods |
*non-native species, Eurasian exotic, weedy, 1998
Mid-summer (Late June through September)
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Habitat |
|
Anemone, Canada Aster Aster, Big-leaved Baneberry, Red Baneberry, White Bearberry Bergamot Bindweed Blazing Star Blue Cohosh Coralroot, Spotted Cow wheat Dogbane, Spreading Early Meadow Rue Fireweed Goldenrod Harebell Honeysuckle, Bush Indian Pipe Lily, Wood Nettle, Stinging Pale Corydalis Partridgeberry Pyrola, Pink Shinleaf Skunk Currant Yarrow |
Anemone canadensis Aster spp. Aster macrophyllus Actaea rubra Acteaa pachypoda Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Monarda fistulosa Convolvulus arvensis* Liatris aspera Caulophyllum thalictroides Corallorthiza maculata Melampyrum lineare Apocynum androsaemifolium Thalyctrum dioicum Epilobium angustifolium Solidago spp. Campanula rotundifolia Diervilla lonicera Monotropa uniflora Lilium philadelphicum Urtica dioica Corydalis sempervirens Mitchella repens Pyrola spp. Pyrola spp. Ribes glandulosum Archillea millifolium |
woods and thicket edges open fields and roadsides common in woods rich deciduous woods rich, deciduous woods (poisonous) dry, sandy barrens open, dry-moist meadows dry soil, open woods dry barrens rich, deciduous woods deciduous woods dry-moist woods, barrens woods edge, roadsides moist, wood edges fields and roads open fields and roadsides dry, open fields, barrens shrub, woods, shade shady, deciduous or conifer woods sandy, acid soil, woods opening moist, rich woods dry, open rocky areas dry or moist woods moist, mixed woods moist, mixed woods cedar swamps, wet woods, shrub fields and roadsides |
*non-native species, Eurasian exotic, weedy, 1998
Sunny Roadside Walk in Mid-summer
(dry, open ground, barrens, meadows, roadsides)
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|
Black-eyed Susan Cinquefoil Cinquefoil, Trifoiliate Clover, Alsike Clover, Red Clover, Rabbit-foot Clover, White Deptford Pink Figwort Horseweed Knapweed, Spotted Milkweed Mullein Mustard Orange Hawkweed Ox-eye Daisy Primrose, Evening Tansy Trefoil, Birdsfoot Sorrel, Sheep St. John’s-Wort Rose, Wild Vetch |
Rudbeckia hirta Potentilla spp. Potentilla tridentata Trifolium hybridum* Trifolium pratense* Trifolium arvense* Trifolium repens* Dianthus armeria* Scrophularia lanceolata Conyza canadensis Centaurea maculosa* Asclepias syriaca Verbascum thapsus* Brassica spp.* Hieracium aurantiacum* Chrysanthemum leucanthemum* Oenothera biennis Tanacetum vulgaris* Lotus corniculatus* Rumex acetosella* Hypericum perforatum* Rosa spp. Vicia americana |
*non-native species, Eurasian exotic, weedy, 1998
Open Bogs (muskegs) in
Mid-summer
(hummocky, spagnum bogs in full sun, few trees)
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Comments |
|
Bog Rosemary Cotton Grass Cranberry Creeping Snowberry Labrador Tea Leatherleaf Pale Laurel Pitcher Plant Sundew |
Andromeda glaucophylla Eriophorum spp. Vaccinium oxycoccus Gautheria hispidula Ledum groenlandicum Chamaedaphne calyculata Kalmia polifolia Sarracenia purpurea Drosera rotundifolia |
low-growing shrub white cotton tufts perched on grass stems low-growing plant likes a bit of shade low-growing shrub low-growing shrub low-growing shrub pitcher-like leaves, nodding flower on stalk rosette of sm. round leaves with sticky hairs |
Aquatic, Marshes & Wet Ditches Great
Lakes Shoreline (sand beach, dunes)
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|
Arrowhead Bladderwort Iris, Blue Flag Lily, Yellow Bullhead Lily, White Water Loosetrife, Purple Orchid, Purple Fringed Pickerel Weed Pipewort Turtlehead Water Arum Water Hemlock Water Smartweed*
Beach Grass |
Sagittaria latifolia Utricularia spp. Iris versicolor Nuphar variegatum Nymphaea odorata Lythrum salicaria* Platanthera psycodes Pontedera cordata Eriocauline aquaticum Chelone glabra Calla palustris Cicuta maculata Polygonum amphibium*
Ammophila brevillgulata |
*non-native species, Eurasian exotic, weedy, 1998
Marquette County Conservation
District
Michigan Association of Conservation Districts - Native Seed Program
Michigan Department of Agriculture
Michigan State University Extension
Natural Resources Conservation Service
U.S. Forest Service - Hiawatha National Forest
Roadweeds Home Page
This website is maintained by Bill Cook in cahoots with the Michigan Invasive Plant Council (MIPC). The MIPC is a loose group of folks (not necessarily a group of loose folks!) working to make information available about invasive plants in Michigan and related issues. If you have questions or comments about the information on this page, contact Bill.
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