Special Edition: July Wildflowers

My Top 5 Picks

Welcome to the dog days of summer! This month is a great time to get out exploring. Wildflowers are big and bold this time of year. Just like fireworks in the night sky – my woods are exploding with July colors.

Many of the flowers I shared in the JUNE Wildflowers post are still blooming – but here are five more of my top picks to add to your wildflower seeking adventures. I hope the dog nose sizing scale helps you put into perspective what to look for – wildflowers are all shapes and sizes. 

Wildflower Size Scale:

Flower size

• Small dog nose (like a dime or smaller)
• Medium dog (like my nose the size of a quarter)
• Large dog (larger than a quarter)

Plant height

• At the paw (ground level 1-2 inches)
• My dewclaw (3-4 inches off ground)
• My dogleg (6 inches or more)

#1 Michigan Lily (orange)

Height: higher than my dogleg

Flower size: bigger than a large dog nose

This is the biggest wildflower I have EVER found – almost as big as my ear! It is bright orange with dark brown spots and is native to my Michigan woods. Its big blooms bow down and if you touch them – they will reward you with their orangey pollen all over your coat. They must be tasty too since my deer friends love them, but I don’t recommend eating them (remember wildflowers are not food). 

#2 Indian Pipe or Ghost Plant (white)

Height: my dewclaw

Flowersize: small dog nose (or smaller)

As you can see, these wildflowers resemble a pipe sticking out of the ground, but when the sun shines on them they appear to glow and are transparent – like a ghost! This plant does not require sunlight to produce food – so it can grow in dark places like the forest floor. They are also often mistaken for a fungus because it does not have any green leaves.

#3 Self-heal (purple)

Height: my dewclaw

Flower size: medium dog nose

The plant is about 6 inches tall and grows on the side of my hill and the best part…you can eat them! Hoomans put the stems and young leaves in salads but I don’t eat salads so I am not sure how they taste. I don’t think hoomans should eat them though unless they research them. Don’t take my word for it. I am just a dog. 

#3 Philadelphia Fleabane (pink and white)

Height: dogleg or taller

Flower size: medium dog nose

Don’t worry – you will not get fleas from this flower! It’s as innocent as a daisy and looks like one too. The petals are thin like little threads and are very light pink or white. The flower closes at night – so they always look like they are budding in the early morning. In my woods they grow close to the water in the sandy gravelly soil.   

#4 Nightshade  (purple)

Height: my dogleg or higher – climbing vine

Flower size: medium dog nose

This is one of my favorites – also called bittersweet. The purple flowers turn into red berries by mid-summer. It climbs like a vine on sapling trees and twigs at the waters edge. In the fall the flowers turn into bright red berries. Never eat berries unless you know if they are safe. I do not suggest eating these berries – their name “bittersweet” suggests they would taste aweful! 

#5 Monkeyflower (purple)

Height: my dogleg (or taller)

Flower: large dog nose

These are funny flowers and remind me of snapdragons in my hooman’s garden. If you squeeze the blooms together – they are supposed to look like a smiling monkey. I dunno tho – just looks like a pretty flower to me! I found these growing TALL along the waters edge.

Well, there you have it friends, five more flowers to hunt for this month. I hope you enjoy this July special edition of my Canine Adventures. Leave me a comment or send me a pic of what you are discovering on your own outdoor adventures. Now get out there and smell the flowers!

Bark at you next week – your friend, 

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