Sisters Three by Michael Seabrook

The National Forest Service shares that Michigan’s state wildflower, the Dwarf Lake Iris (Iris lacustris), grows nowhere else but in the Great Lakes region & mostly within Michigan:

The vivid blue, showy flowers (about two inches in height) of Dwarf lake iris are truly exquisite. This miniature iris, honored as the state flower of Michigan, blooms from mid May to early June.

Dwarf lake iris is called a Great Lakes endemic due to its very limited range. It inhabits the northern shores of Lakes Huron and Michigan within Michigan, Wisconsin (Door Co.), and Ontario, Canada (Manitoulin Island, and the Bruce Peninsula). Dwarf lake iris formerly ranged as far south as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but has never collected on Lake Superior shoreline.

The Latin species name lacustris translates to “of lakes”, which does not speak to the immense size of these two huge inland “seas”. Confined almost exclusively to thin soil over limestone, rich gravel or bedrock, or moist sands and gravels, it can persist in full sunlight on moist sites. This miniature iris is most successful, however, under the light, dappled shade of white cedar. It flowers best in semi-open habitats such as the long and narrow strips of land bordering the high-water line, or large flat expanses behind open dunes. It may also inhabitant old beach ridges of the former shores of these two Great Lakes. The changing water levels of lakes Michigan and Huron serve to create new habitat.

Thomas Nuttall, renowned naturalist and explorer, first found this species in 1810. The type locality, or location where he first found Dwarf lake iris, was Mackinac Island in northern Lake Michigan.

Michael took this photo back in 2013. More in his Michigan Wildflowers gallery on Flickr!