Lake Huron Shore Plants

Thunder Bay Island has over 250 species of plants. Here we show the most colorful wildflowers that bloom on the island. Most of these plants can be found from Port Huron to Mackinaw City along the shore, in their preferred habitats.

Here we see a typical field in mid-summer. There are no deer on the island, so everything is in a pristine and naturally balanced state with the climate, nutrient regime and pests.

Canada anemone on the left and blueflag on the right (above) make a beautiful site along the rocky shores and the wetland pockets. In places the entire shore is speckled white in early spring with the anemones. Sandy beach and dunal habitat is rare on the Island, but rocky foreshore, moist backshore, old field, and deep woods habitats abound.

An old jeep trail through the island (above) is now grown over with forget-me-nots.

Harebells (left) are the classical bluebells of Scotland, blooming in great clumps along the shore and sunny interior zones. The gorgeous Indian paintbrush (right) blooms very early on the wet limestone shale, its favorite habitat along Lake Huron and elsewhere. Click image for large view.

The lake tansy (left) is very rare throughout its range along Northern Lake Huron, blooming only on sunny, sandy shores. The ox-eye daisy (right) is everywhere in mid summer, growing densely in open sun amongst low growing plants.

Columbine (left) appears in early summer throughout the interior of the island, along with the delicate forget-me-nots (right) that come in pink and blue. The Thunder Bay Island Preservation Society takes special care not to mow these treasures down while maintaining the Lighthouse grounds.

Fringed polygala (left) is very tiny, appearing in the latter part of May in shaded locations. The later blooming goats beard (right) turns from the yellow shown to a delicate ball of fluffy white (see large image).

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed susan (left), typical of old fields and waste areas, grow abundantly on the Island. Harebells share the site. The cardinal flower (right) is perhaps the most beautiful wetlands plant in Michigan. It stand three to four feet above the water surface, showing a brilliant crimson above the surrounding sedges and rushes. Quite rare everywhere and protected by law from picking.

Cardinal Flowers

	The low growing yellow silverweed (left) sprawls along the wettest areas in open sun. It can also colonize moist interior swales if sunny enough. The shrub, red osier (right) grows profusely in the wetter soils and has dozens of large white blooms in early summer.
	Starry false Solomon's seal (left) covers the transition zone from the low shore plants to the tree line. The small white flowers resemble a five pointed star. The bright yellow St John's Wort (right) can be found most of the summer along the drier shores where the vegetation is less than two feet tall.

The rare yellow lady's slipper (left) grows abundantly along the wooded trails, blooming in June. This orchid and the related but less common pink lady's slipper are a joy to see on Thunder Bay Island. The yellow rocket (right) grows in wetland areas in large groups, seen from quite a distance. It also blooms in early summer.

Yellow Rocker

Purple loosestrife (above), the bane of ecologists and wetland managers because of its invasive and presumptive habit of taking over in many areas, here becomes a useful addition to the otherwise very barren coast. Gulls and other shorebirds nest among its tough, dense stalks and later baby chicks find cover and shade to help them make it to fledging size. The excrement from the birds helps nourish the loosestrife, while it in turn acts as a biofilter preventing excess pollution from entering the water. In August, it turns to a beautiful purple, humming with bees carrying nectar to their hives. Loosestrife honey is good for cookies, spreads and wine making.

Delphinium (left), a domestic ornamental raised by the lightkeepers, rises up through the thick foliage near the tree line. Fireweed (right) decorates many of the inland open areas with flashes of brilliant pink/red. These flowers all grow in complete harmony with the wilderness conditions of Thunder Bay Island.

White baneberry (right) grows profusely along the many trails and old roads in partial shade. Combinations like this one with columbine are a delight to behold. Below is a yellow lady slipper and columbine duet in the shade. Yellow Lady's Slipper

White Baneberry

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