21 Native Wildflowers for Michigan Gardens

As a Michigan local, I’ve always had a deep love for my state’s native wildflowers. They’re delightful and delicate, yet tough and resilient. They withstand the harshest winters and bring incredible beauty to the landscape each spring and summer. 

As beautiful and important as they are for the ecosystem, some are threatened by habitat destruction and a changing climate. Many local gardeners, including myself, are choosing to grow native Michigan wildflowers to help preserve them.

In summer, the plant produces blossoms up to 10 inches wide. It attracts pollinators such as bees and beetles. Fish hide from predators underneath the lotus’ large leaves. Besides its ecological benefits, the plant has edible leaves, seeds, and roots. 

As beautiful as it is, it’s threatened by habitat loss. However, you can grow it at home in water gardens. Plant its roots in containers with a mixture of clay, organic matter, sand, and loam as the growing medium. Cover the crowns with up to 2 feet of water. You’ll see tons of waxy young leaves emerge from the water, followed by beautiful summer blooms. 

Blazing Star

	common name Blazing Star
	botanical name Liatris spicata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-6’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Blazing star flowers are gorgeous herbaceous perennials native to Michigan. They are members of the aster family of plants. They stand out with their intense purple blooms, which resemble clusters of fibers growing from a tall stalk. 

These beautiful blooms pop out in fields and open spaces in mid-to-late summer. In some locations, they paint the landscape with their magnetic purple blooms. 

If you have an area with full sun and rich, well-drained soil, you can grow blazing stars at home. They’re incredibly easy to grow and maintain. Once established, they’ll return year after year. 

Bladderwort

	common name Bladderwort
	botanical name Utricularia subulata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 12”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Bladderworts are tiny wildflowers that grow along the coast of southern Lake Michigan. They thrive in the sandy soils and marshes of the Michigan sand dunes. 

What makes them so unique is their carnivorous nature. Similar to European bladderworts, these tiny yellow blossoms have bladders that trap insects. When they decompose, the plants absorb their nutrients. 

Although small, you can grow these adorable predators in your home garden. All you need is full sun and moist sandy soil. 

Bloodroot

	common name Bloodroot
	botanical name Sanguinaria canadensis
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height Up to 10”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Bloodroot is a gorgeous wildflower that blooms in the forests of Michigan. It produces striking flowers, with up to 18 petals. The flowers are soft white or pink and are some of the first bloomers in Michigan’s forests. 

It’s named after bright scarlet or orange sap that seeps from its stems. Try growing this perennial flower and enjoy its marvelous blooms in shady areas. Be careful because its roots contain highly poisonous isoquinoline alkaloids. 

Dwarf Lake Iris

	common name Dwarf Lake Iris
	botanical name Iris lacustris
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height Up to 12”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Dwarf lake iris is a beautiful wildflower that thrives in the woodlands of Michigan. It produces tons of bright violet or blue flowers and glossy leaves that shoot from a central rhizome. 

This native Michigan wildflower thrives in shady areas. It’s easy to grow and prefers sandy, well-drained soil. It typically blooms from late May to early July. 

Prairie Smoke

	common name Prairie Smoke
	botanical name Geum triflorum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 18”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Prairie smoke is a gorgeous herbaceous perennial that grows wild throughout the Great Lakes region. It has striking purple to reddish pink wispy flowers and full, grayish green foliage. 

Grow prairie smoke in dry, well-drained soil with plenty of sand. It’s incredibly drought tolerant and doesn’t need extra attention to thrive. Its colorful blooms will attract beneficial pollinators to your garden. 

Marsh Marigold

	common name Marsh Marigold
	botanical name Caltha palustris
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height Up to 24”
	hardiness zones 3-7

Marsh marigolds are beautiful yellow wildflowers that bloom in the early spring. They form small buttercup-shaped petals that are incredibly enchanting. 

Grow them in slightly acidic soil with plenty of loam and sand. Once established, these herbaceous perennials will be some of the first bloomers in your garden. 

Pitcher’s Thistle

	common name Pitcher’s Thistle
	botanical name Cirsium pitcheri
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 4’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Pitcher’s thistle plants are native to the sandy dunes along the Lake Michigan shoreline. In this unique environment, they evolved to have taproots of almost 6 feet deep.

They have toothed leaves and an almost silvery color. They bloom from mid-June through September and have delicate white to pink flowers. Unfortunately, they don’t flower until the end of their juvenile rosette stage, which can last up to 8 years. 

These native perennials are easy to grow in sandy, well-drained soils. They attract beneficial insects throughout the summer once they bloom. 

Great White Trillium

	common name Great White Trillium
	botanical name Trillium grandiflorum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height Up to 36”
	hardiness zones 4-8

Great white trilliums explode with color in the forests of Michigan. As soon as the weather warms in spring, you’ll see pink and white star-shaped flowers. 

These perennials have glossy leaves that signal the arrival of spring. Once the blooms appear, they spread up to 4 inches wide, covering the forest floor in radiant clusters. 

Plant these showy perennials in well-drained soil with plenty of organic material. It can take them several years to establish before flowering. Although they are relatively pest-free, protect them from deer who like to eat their tender leaves and flowers. 

Solomon’s Plume

	common name Solomon’s Plume
	botanical name Maianthemum racemosum
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Solomon’s plume is a common forest plant that produces big, glossy leaves that make excellent ground cover. In the spring, it produces small star-shaped flowers on the tip of its stem. In the summer, it produces small berries that last into the fall. 

This native perennial thrives in partial shade and well-drained sandy to loam soil. It grows abundantly from its central rhizome, making it an excellent ground cover. 

Dutchman’s Breeches

	common name Dutchman’s Breeches
	botanical name Dicentra cucullaria
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Dutchman’s breeches is a spring ephemeral that is one of the first bloomers in the forests of Michigan. It has radiant white flowers that resemble upside down pants and red to vermillion hued stems. 

Plant this Michigan wildflower in well-drained, sandy soil with plenty of organic material. In its native range, it thrives in soil with thick piles of composted leaves. 

Rue Anemone

	common name Rue Anemone
	botanical name Anemonella thalictroides
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-8”
	hardiness zones 4-8

Rue anemone is a delicate spring bloomer. This native Michigan wildflower grows wild in forests and pastures and produces pink to white sepals that cover the forest floor in spring. 

Grow this flower in shady areas of your garden or yard in well-drained soil. Add a lot of compost to mimic its native habitat. The plant will spread from its rhizome as it establishes itself. 

Mayapple

	common name Mayapple
	botanical name Podophyllum peltatum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Mayapples are some of the most common spring native wildflowers in Michigan. They produce canopy-like leaves that shade smaller ground level plants. 

As the ground slowly warms, these spring ephemerals emerge in clusters. They eventually produce a white flower on the split of their central stem. When I was a kid, I used to imagine they were tiny cyclopes. 

Yellow Trout Lily

	common name Yellow Trout Lily
	botanical name Erythronium americanum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 3-9

It’s hard to find more stunning Michigan native wildflowers than yellow trout lilies. These awe-inspiring flowers grow in clusters on nutrient-dense forest floors. They have bright yellow blooms and green leaves covered in purple speckles. 

The plants grow from central rhizomes that produce several stems throughout the season. Although the blooms are short-lived, they’ll keep popping up in different areas near each other. 

You can grow these stunning wildflowers in your Michigan garden. They need plenty of shade, tons of compost, and some protection from deer. 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

	common name Jack-in-the-Pulpit
	botanical name Arisaema triphyllum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Jack-in-the-Pulpits grow throughout the eastern U.S. and Michigan. They are truly unique spring bloomers that produce a spadix surrounded by a purple to green spathe. They resemble tiny hooded cups in the forest. When you open them up, they look like a tiny ‘jack’ sitting in a pulpit. 

Plant these wildflowers in rich and moist soil full of organic material and compost. They are spring ephemerals and will die back to the ground after blooming in spring. 

Spring Beauty

	common name Spring Beauty
	botanical name Claytonia virginica
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-10”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Spring beauties are delicate and charming little flowers that burst with white and light pink blooms. They have a striking brush-like appearance on the petals and small green leaves. 

They’ll appear in the early spring and last until early summer. After blooming, they die back to the ground and go dormant until the following spring. 

Plant them in well-drained soil, rich in organic material. They’ll attract tons of local wildlife and helpful pollinators to your garden early in the season. 

Wild Geranium

	common name Wild Geranium
	botanical name Geranium maculatum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-18”
	hardiness zones 3-11

Wild geraniums are some of my favorite Michigan native wildflowers. They’re majestic spring bloomers and form stunning clusters of purple to pink flowers. 

They’re some of the easiest wildflowers to grow from rhizomes in your home garden. Give them plenty of sun and water. They thrive in well-drained soil with plenty of organic material. 

Smooth Soloman’s Seal

	common name Smooth Soloman’s Seal
	botanical name Polygonatum biflorum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 3-7

In parts of Michigan, you’ll run into smooth Solomon’s seal flowers blooming in the forest in spring. They grow along with other wildflowers in clusters of rhizomes. They produce rows of stems and leaves with tiny white bell-shaped flowers on the undersides of the stems. 

Grow them in shady areas under trees and fallen leaves. They’ll thrive with rich organic soil and lots of consistent watering. 

Round-Lobed Hepatica

	common name Round-Lobed Hepatica
	botanical name Hepatica americana
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-10”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Round-lobed hepaticas have charming little leaves with rounded lobes that stay low to the ground. As the plants mature, they send up long stems with delicate blue, white, and pink flowers. They appear during the day and magically close at night. 

Grow round-lobed hepaticas in well-drained soil that’s full of organic material. One of the biggest challenges of growing this flower is keeping the soil moist for long enough. 

Bellwort

	common name Bellwort
	botanical name Uvularia grandiflora
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 12-20”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Bellworts are some of the first flowers to appear in spring. They last through the summer, providing beautiful foliage on the forest floor. They have yellow sepals that droop down towards their leaves. 

Grow bellworts in well-drained soil with plenty of compost. They prefer tons of shade and consistent moisture. If you live in an area with deciduous forest, plant them along the periphery for epic floral borders. 

Painted Trillium

	common name Painted Trillium
	botanical name Trillium undulatum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Painted trilliums are common trillium species in Michigan’s forests. They produce captivating flowers with three white petals with radiant pink splashes in the center. They almost look tropical, with their pink streaks and large leaves. 

These flowers grow from rhizomes beneath the moist soil. They send out tons of stalks with colorful flowers at the ends. If you grow them in your garden, give them plenty of shade and nutrient soil. Water them consistently to maintain the right moisture level in the soil.