Northern Michigan's Native Plants
When selecting plants for your yard and garden, why not go native? Consider using plants that naturally grow in your region and are best suited for the soil and light conditions of your property. There are advantages to using native plants over ornamental and potentially invasive species. Native plants can require less maintenance and have the best chance of survival. Native plants often have an aesthetic fit to the site which is difficult to achieve with a collection of exotic plants. Using native species avoids spreading nuisance exotic plants such as purple loosestrife. There are many beautiful native plants from dogwoods to spiderwort. The following listing includes some of the more common native plants and their basic soil preferences. We encourage you to take this list with you to your local nursery as a guide. We have also included a few sources for these plants.
Native Trees
Northern White Cedar
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Wet Conditions
Green ash - Fraxinus pennsylvanica Basswood - Tilia americana Black willow - Salix nigra Yellow birch - Betula alleghaniensis Northern white cedar - Thuja occidentalis Eastern hemlock - Tsuga canadensis Red maple - Acer rubrum Musclewood - Carpinus caroliniana Tamarack - Larix laricina Eastern cottonwood - Populus deltoides Common elder - Sambucus canadensis |
White Oak
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Upland Conditions
Trembling Aspen - Populus temuloides White ash - Fraxinus americana Beech - Fagus grandifolia Black cherry - Prunus serotina Ironwood Sugar maple - Acer saccharum Bur oak - Quercus macrocarpa Red oak - Quercus rubra White oak - Quercus alba Red pine - Pinus resinosa Eastern Hemlock - Tsuga canadensis Sugar maple - Acer saccharum White birch - Betula papyrifera White spruce - Picea glauca American beech - Fagus grandifolia Eastern white pine - Pinus strobus |
Wildflowers
Marsh Marigold
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Short - Wet Conditions
(Three Feet and Under) Canada anemone - Anemone canadensis Great blue lobelia - Lobelia siphilitica Marsh marigold - Caltha palustris Blue flag iris - Iris versicolor Jack-in-the-pulpit - Arisaema triphyllum Turtlehead - Chelone glabra Blue-eyed grass - Sisyrinchium angustifolium |
Bee Balm
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Short - Upland Conditions
(Three Feet and Under) Smooth aster - Aster laevis Butterflyweed - Asclepias tuberosa Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta Columbine - Aquilegia canadensis Spiderwort - Tradescantia ohioensis Lupine - Lupinus perennis Bee balm - Monarda fistulosa Foxglove beard-tongue - Penstemon digitalis |
Joe-Pye Weed
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Tall - Wet Conditions
(Over Three Feet) Swamp milkweed - Asclepias incarnata Boneset - Eupatorium perfoliatum Joe-Pye weed - Eupatorium maculatum Cardinal flower - Lobelia cardinalis Blue vervain - Verbena hastata New England aster - Aster novae-angliae |
False Sunflower
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Tall - Upland Conditions
(Over Three Feet) Sunflowers (Perennial) - Helianthus spp. False sunflower - Heliopsis helianthoides Goldenrod - Solidago spp. |
Grasses and Sedges
Cotton Grass
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Short - Wet Conditions
(Four Feet and Under) Fox sedge - Carex vulpinoidea Cotton grass - Eriophorum angustifolium Sweet Grass - Hierochloe odorata Tussock sedge - Carex stricta |
June Grass
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Short - Upland Conditions
(Four Feet and Under) Little bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparius Pennsylvania sedge - Carex pensylvanica June grass - Koeleria macrantha Bottlebrush grass - Elymus hystrix Canada wild rye - Elymus Canadensis |
Threesquare Bulrush
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Tall - Wet Conditions
(Over Four Feet) Hardstem bulrush - Schoenoplectus acutus Prairie cordgrass - Spartina pectinata Wool grass - Scirpus cyperinus Threesquare bulrush - Schoenoplectus americanus |
Switchgrass
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Tall - Upland Conditions
(Over Four Feet) Big bluestem - Andropogon gerardii Switchgrass - Panicum virgatum Indian grass - Sorghastrum nutans |
Native Shrubs
Meadowsweet
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Wet Conditions
Speckled alder - Alnus rugosa Buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis Red-osier dogwood - Cornus stolonifera Silky dogwood - Cornus amomum Meadowsweet - Spiraea alba Ninebark - Physocarpus opulifolius Swamp rose - Rosa palustris Highbush-cranberry - Viburnum trilobum Michigan holly - Ilex verticillata Nannyberry - Viburnum lentago |
Maple Leaf Viburnum
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Upland Conditions
Maple leaf viburnum - Viburnum acerifolium Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana Gray dogwood - Cornus foemina New Jersey tea - Ceanothus americanus Serviceberry - Amelanchier arborea Fragrant sumac - Rhus aromatica Yew - Taxus canadensis Ground juniper - Juniperus communis Round-leaved dogwood - Cornus rugosa Arrow-wood viburnum - Virburnum dentatum Carolina rose - Rosa Carolina |
Ground Covers
Trout Lilies
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Bearberry - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Canada mayflower - Maianthemum canadense Bracken fern - Pteridium aquilinium Bunchberry - Cornus canadensis Large-leafed aster - Aster macrophyllus Creeping wintergreen - Gaultheria procumbens Wild ginger - Asarum canadense Trout lily - Erythronium americanum Canada anemone - Anemone canadensis Foamflower - Tiarella cordifolia Common Blue Violet - Viola sororia |
Invasive Non-Native Species to Avoid
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Autumn olive - Eleagnus umbellata
Barberry - Berberis spp. Buckthorn - Rhamnus cathartica, Rhamnus frangula Crown vetch - Coronilla varia Honeysuckle - Lonicera tatarica, L. morrowi, L. x-bella, other cultivars Maiden grass - Miscanthus sinensis Multiflora rose - Rosa multiflora Periwinkle (myrtle) - Vinca minor |
Privet - Ligustrum vulgare
Purple loosestrife - ythrum salicaria Reed canary grass - Phalaris arundinacea Russian olive - Eleagnus angustifolia Siberian Elm - Ulmus pumila Spotted knapweed - Centaurea maculosa Yellow water iris - Iris pseudacorus |
Additional Resources
Northern Michigan Native Plants
A perfect pocket guide to take to the nursery or share with your landscaper when planning a greenbelt for your shoreline property. |
Native Plants of Michigan
A list of native plants to use for the following types of gardens:
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Landscape Alternatives for Invasive Plants of the Midwest
This colorful brochure lists several alternatives for each of the invasive species listed in this brochure, both native species and non-native species that currently show no sign of becoming invasive. A great companion for your next visit to the nursery. Produced by: Midwest Invasive Plant Network |
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Native Plants - Video
This is video #3 in the "Protecting What You Love" video series produced by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. This video focuses on the benefits of using native plants in your waterfront landscaping. Funding for this project provided by: Charlevoix County Community Foundation Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation Crouse Entertainment Group |
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Suggested Websites for Additional Information
- Michigan State University - Native Plants and Ecosystem Services website
Sources for Native Plants
Michigan Native Plant Producers Association
http://mnppa.org/members.html
The Michigan Native Plant Producers Association comprises 12 independently owned nurseries located throughout the state of Michigan. Together we grow and sell over 400 species of Michigan native plants and seeds, including, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, and ferns.
Michigan Native Plant Producers Association
http://mnppa.org/members.html
The Michigan Native Plant Producers Association comprises 12 independently owned nurseries located throughout the state of Michigan. Together we grow and sell over 400 species of Michigan native plants and seeds, including, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, and ferns.
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Antrim Conservation District
(231) 533-8363 http://www.antrimcd.com/ Charlevoix Conservation District (231) 582-6193 http://www.charlevoixcounty.org/cd.asp Cheboygan Conservation District (231) 627-8815 http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county/info/cheboygan Emmet Conservation District (231) 439-8997 http://www.emmetcd.org The Native Plant Nursery (734) 677-3260 www.nativeplant.com |
Northern Michigan Native Plant Nursery
Gaylord, MI Otsego Conservation District (989) 732-4021 http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county/info/otsego The Michigan Wildflower Farm (517) 647-6010 www.michiganwildflowerfarm.com Wetland Nursery (989) 752-3492 Wildtype Nursery (517) 244-1140 www.wildtypeplants.com |
