Dwarf Lake Iris

Michigan State Wildflower : Dwarf Lake Iris

This miniature iris grows nowhere else in the world but in the Great Lakes Region. Most of the world's Dwarf Lake Iris population lies within Michigan's boundaries. It is known outside of Michigan only from Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, and the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. In Michigan, Dwarf Lake Iris is especially concentrated along certain stretches of the northern Great Lakes shoreline, where it may occur for miles, interrupted only by habitat destruction, degradation, or unsuitable habitat such as rocky points or marshy bays.

It is threatened by loss of habitat due to increased human activity along the shoreline. Human disturbance such as shoreline development and intensive recreation are major threats. Dwarf Lake Iris is listed as a "threatened" species by the federal government and the state of Michigan.

Dwarf Lake Iris was first found on Mackinac Island in 1810 by Thomas Nuttall, a renowned naturalist and explorer. Nuttall reached Mackinac Island after travelling from Detroit by canoe with French Canadian voyagers and the surveyor for the Michigan Territory. At least 1/3 of the species that Nuttall reported from the Great Lakes were new to science.