While many associate high-impact gardens with the peak of summer, there is no need to wait for July to enjoy a vibrant landscape. In Michigan, the spring season offers a spectacular parade of color that can transform your yard as early as March. From the very first early risers of the garden to the dramatic showstoppers of late spring, you can enjoy a thriving, beautiful garden right now.
Here is your guide to the best spring-flowering plants for your Michigan landscape.
THE EARLY RISERS: MARCH & APRIL
These are the heralds of the garden, often poking through the soil or blooming while the air is still crisp.
Bulbs & Perennials
- Witchhazel: One of the very first to bloom in the spring, common witchhazel produces fragrant, bright yellow filament-like flowers as early as March.
- Bergenia: This hardy perennial provides some of the earliest color in the landscape as it wakes up in the spring. It is officially classified as “rarely damaged” by deer, making it a reliable choice for local gardens.
- Spring-Blooming Bulbs: For a classic display, Daffodils and Tulips are essential. Daffodils are especially prized as they are naturally deterrent to deer and squirrels. Even earlier, Crocus and Snowdrops offer a welcome sight as the snow melts in March/April.
- Lenten Rose (Helleborus): A true champion for shady spots, these semi-evergreens can actually start blooming under the snow during Lent. They offer a wide range of colorful flowers and dark green leaves that can continue into summer.
- Heartleaf Brunnera: This shade favorite, like ‘Jack of Diamonds’ (2025 Proven Winners Perennial of the Year), features velvety heart-shaped leaves and baby blue, forget-me-not type blossoms.
Showstopping Trees & Shrubs
- Cornelian Cherry Dogwood: Among the very first trees to flower in the spring, often in March, it features yellow flowers along exfoliating, scaly branches.
- Forsythia: Often the first shrub to bloom in late March or early April, varieties like ‘Show Off®’ provide a beacon of brilliant yellow bell-shaped flowers.
- Eastern Redbud: A local native that explodes with showy pink to purple flowers directly on bare branches in early spring. Varieties like ‘The Rising Sun’ or ‘Forest Pansy’ offer unique foliage that transitions through gold, peach, or deep purple.
- Magnolia: For an architectural masterpiece, the ‘Jane’ Magnolia produces large, reddish-purple flowers in early spring (April).
THE LATER ARRIVALS: MAY & JUNE
As the soil warms, these varieties join the parade to provide a lush transition into summer.
Perennials
- Bleeding Heart (Dicentra): A nostalgic favorite for shade, the ‘Gold Heart’ variety features chartreuse-yellow foliage and arching stems of pink, heart-shaped flowers in May.
- Virginia Bluebells: These natives feature dainty, nodding blue flowers that emerge from fuchsia buds in mid-to-late spring (May).
- Peonies: Reaching their peak from late spring into early summer (June), varieties like the ‘Kansas’ Peony feature bold, ruby-red, lightly-scented flowers that are excellent for cutting.
- Creeping Phlox: An early-blooming favorite with a naturally dwarf habit, varieties like ‘Opening Act Blush’ produce lavender-pink flowers profusely from May into early summer.
- Pinks (Dianthus): For intense splashes of color, ‘Paint the Town Magenta’ or ‘Paint the Town Fuchsia’ provide breathtaking flowers over mounds of blue foliage starting in late May.
- Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis): This extraordinary native produces spikes of indigo blue pea-flowers from late spring into June.
Trees & Shrubs
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier): This versatile native offers white flowers in spring followed by edible berries in June and amazing fall color.
- Lilacs: No Michigan spring is complete without the spicy fragrance of Lilacs in May. The Bloomerang® series is popular for its ability to produce a plethora of flowers in spring and then rebloom through summer.
- Flowering Crabapple: Highly regarded for their hardiness, varieties like ‘Prairifire’ are smothered in rich red flowers in May and produce small purple fruit in fall.
- Azaleas and Rhododendrons: Varieties like ‘Karen’ Azalea or ‘P.J.M.’ Rhododendron offer intense spring colors (May) but require well-drained, highly acidic soil and peat moss to thrive.
PRO-TIPS FOR SPRING SUCCESS
- The Squeeze Test: Before planting, ensure your soil is ready. Take a handful of soil and squeeze; if it crumbles when you open your hand, it is dry enough for planting.
- Harden Off Your Transplants: If moving plants from a greenhouse to your garden, give them 7 to 14 days to adjust by placing them outdoors in a shaded, protected area during the day.
- Wait to Prune: Remember the “Spring-Blooming Rule”—do not prune spring-flowering favorites like Lilacs or Forsythia in early spring, or you will cut off this year’s blossoms. Wait until immediately after they finish flowering (May/June).
If you’re looking to discover exactly what is blooming across West Michigan right now, Everett’s Gardens is the place to be. From the first hardy “early risers” that brave the frost to the breathtaking showstoppers of late spring, our knowledgeable staff is here to help you navigate the season’s best arrivals. Visit our specialized gardens in Byron Center for fresh inspiration and find the perfect varieties to bring your spring vision to life.