Michigan in bloom

Michigan bloom calendar

Darker = more flowering sightings that month. Based on iNaturalist research-grade observations in Michigan marked “Flowering,” as of October 17–23, 2026. Garden flowers have few records because research-grade data leaves out planted ones.

Families on this list

The plant families with the most flowers on this list, from iNaturalist taxonomy. Within each family, the most-observed flowers come first.

• Rosaceae (25): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Black cherry, Thimbleberry, Black raspberry, Virginia strawberry, Sulphur cinquefoil, Common ninebark and 17 more
• Asteraceae (15): Common yarrow, White snakeroot, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Creeping thistle, New England aster, Common sunflower and 7 more
• Fabaceae (8): White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, White sweetclover, Broad-leaved sweet pea, American yellowwood
• Viburnaceae (8): American black elderberry, Red-berried elder, Mapleleaf viburnum, Guelder-rose, Japanese snowball viburnum, Nannyberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Koreanspice viburnum
• Ranunculaceae (7): Red columbine, Wood anemone, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica, Virgin's bower, Canada anemone
• Lamiaceae (6): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Common motherwort, Russian sage
• Ericaceae (6): Ghost pipe, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Bearberry, Catawba rhododendron, Japanese andromeda, Satsuki azalea
• Oleaceae (5): Purple lilac, Border forsythia, Japanese tree lilac, Meyer lilac, Chinese fringetree
• Hydrangeaceae (5): Sweet mock orange, Bigleaf hydrangea, Panicle hydrangea, Mountain hydrangea, Slender deutzia
• Asparagaceae (4): Solomon's plume (false Solomon's seal), Canada mayflower, Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley, Lily of the valley
• Apocynaceae (4): Common milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, Lesser periwinkle, Swamp milkweed
• Brassicaceae (4): Garlic mustard, Dame's rocket, Cut-leaved toothwort, Hoary alyssum
• Caprifoliaceae (4): Amur honeysuckle, Common snowberry, Seven-son flower, Weigela
• Cornaceae (4): Canadian bunchberry, Red osier dogwood, Cornelian cherry, Kousa dogwood
• Rubiaceae (3): Partridgeberry, Buttonbush, Gardenia

Shortlists by growing conditions

Flowers on this list whose USDA PLANTS characteristics data gives the rating shown. USDA only rates some species, so these lists are not complete.

• High drought tolerance (12): Eastern redbud, Butterfly milkweed, Purple crownvetch, White sweetclover, Mapleleaf viburnum, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Broad-leaved sweet pea, Common soapwort, Bearberry, Common snowberry, New Jersey tea, Common ninebark
• High moisture use (suits wet spots) (17): Chicory, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Eastern skunk cabbage, Buttonbush, Wild bergamot, Thimbleberry, Common cowparsnip, Bird's-foot trefoil, Swamp milkweed, Canadian bunchberry, Marsh marigold, Southern magnolia and 5 more
• Rapid growth rate (16): American pokeweed, Common selfheal, Red clover, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Dame's rocket, American black elderberry, Black cherry, Thimbleberry, White sweetclover, Black raspberry, Common sunflower and 4 more

How we picked these flowers

We started from iNaturalist's research-grade sightings in Michigan, most-observed first, left out grasses, sedges, trees and other plants with tiny or wind-pollinated flowers (plus poison ivy), kept at most three species per genus, and added Michigan's official flowers, plus flowering shrubs and trees with at least 3 garden or 10 wild iNaturalist records in Michigan and popular garden flowers that iNaturalist users record growing in Michigan. Every flower needs a CC0 or CC BY photo.

Rare plant list: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023)
Invasive plant list: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program