"Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circum spice"

That is the Michigan state motto, and it speaks perfectly to these beautiful upper-midwestern environs. "If you seek an amenable peninsula, look around you."

Surrounded by freshwater coastline, Michigan is known as the 'great lake state.' It also has more than 11,000 island lakes - which equates to almost 1200 square miles of inland waters - and roughly 36,000 miles of streams.

Hidden among the occasional dune ponds and sluggish streams along the upper shores of Lake Michigan, the alert visitor may come across a cuplike yellow flower with a large disk (stigma) in its center, floating just above the surface of the water. This aquatic species is a member of the water lily family, and its prevalence indicates a healthy and functioning wetland ecosystem. These resplendent, rubbery blooms make their first appearance in late spring, and thrive in quiet, shallow waters all summer long.

Other late-spring to early-summer wildflowers which require the copious moisture provided by Michigan's wet woods and bogs include all variants of Lady's Slipper and the Fringed Polygala. This tiny, purple, orchid-like blossom is dwarfed by a quarter-coin, and resides only half an inch above the surface of the wetgrass.

Throughout the summer until well into fall, northern Michigan's wet meadows and swamps yield an abundance of multi-coloured beauty. From the ivory hues of the Turtlehead to the lush purple tones of the Great Lobelia, across the vast expanses of shoreline which are home to both the scarlet Indian Paintbrush and the soft lavender-blue Fringed Gentian, nature lovers will want to explore these vistas with camera in hand.

Growing among the edges of nearly every woods and in dozens upon dozens of open meadows are Smooth Rose (also known as Rosa Blanda), the prolific Hedge and Field Bindweed species, Wild Bergamot, Wood Geraniums and the showy Lathyrus Latifolius - commonly referred to as Everlasting Pea. You may also find the delicate pink Rosa Blanda thriving in an occasional sand-dune.

On the Springbrook Hills property itself, guests will find stalks of Wild Bergamot and Bull Thistle, each growing more than four feet high. Scattered throughout the grassy swales which line the roadsides of this lovely community, one can also spot multiple, flat-topped pink and violet clusters of Joe Pye Weed. For visitors who would like to learn more about northern Michigan's scenic nature trails, the Grass River Natural Area, in Antrim county, offers nearly one thousand acres which cover a wide range of habitats, from dry uplands to river bottom swales. Trails are open from dawn to dusk throughout the summer; special lectures, classes, and day-long excursions under the tutelage of professional naturalists are held regularly.

Trillium Grandiforum, sometimes referred to as Michigan's "second" state flower (the actual state flower is apple blossom), flourishes in abundance throughout all of central and northern Michigan. Every spring, Hoffmaster State Park, located along the shores of Lake Michigan in the city of Muskegon, sponsors a festival to honour the appearance of this large annual tri-petal. Walk through any woods in the western, northwestern, northern, and upper peninsula counties and you will find swaths of white trillium blooming along the forest floor. Their blossoms turns to pink as they age, and some of these lovely flowers have taken root among the garden landscapes belonging to the homes which overlook Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan.

For more about the numerous activities which celebrate Michigan's abundant natural wildlife and resources, please visit the official website for the Department of Natural Resources, and click onto their Calender of Events, at the top of the navigation bar.

To discover more about the wide variety of indigenous plant-life on this beautiful peninsula, check out the Michigan Botany website.