Planning a garden in Michigan? This guide is here to help you discover the beauty and benefits of using Michigan native plants in your landscape. These aren’t just any plants; they’re perfectly suited to our local climate and bring wonderful ecological advantages to your garden. At Everett’s Gardens, we’re dedicated to helping you pick the right plants, and our selection includes a fantastic array of Michigan Natives, with knowledgeable staff ready to offer guidance.
Benefits of Native Plants in Michigan Gardens
Incorporating native trees, shrubs, and perennials into your landscape in Michigan provides several advantages.
- Promoting Diversity and Resilience: A varied selection of native plants can enhance natural resistance to diseases and pests, reducing vulnerability to widespread issues such as Dutch Elm Disease or Emerald Ash Borer.
- Supporting Wildlife: Native plants and trees offer essential habitats and food sources for local wildlife, including various bird species, bees, and butterflies. For example, oak trees serve as an early food source for pollinators in the spring, providing sustenance after winter.
- Adaptation and Maintenance: Native plants are adapted to Michigan’s climate, which can result in reduced maintenance requirements. They may exhibit greater drought tolerance once established and generally require less upkeep. Additionally, native shade trees can contribute to lower home energy costs by providing natural cooling during warm periods.
- Long-Term Landscape Value: Many native trees possess the potential for long-term growth, providing enduring landscape features.
Selected Native Plants for Michigan Landscapes
Everett’s Gardens offers a range of native trees that are locally grown from seed and maintain their original form, available in various sizes from three-gallon pots to mature trees.
Native Trees
These trees offer shade, structure, and seasonal interest.
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum): A common choice in Michigan, known for its rapid growth and red and yellow fall foliage. It functions as a shade tree, though it may not thrive in alkaline soils.
- Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum): A native species valued for its golden fall color. It develops into a large, formally shaped tree suitable for many landscapes.
- White Oak (Quercus alba): A robust and adaptable tree. Oaks are an early food source for pollinators in the spring.
- Red Oak (Quercus rubra): A resilient and adaptable tree beneficial for wildlife, capable of reaching heights and spreads of 70 feet.
- White Pine (Pinus strobus): Michigan’s state tree, characterized by soft, flexible needles and rapid growth, providing year-round visual appeal.
- American Beech (Fagus grandifolia): A substantial tree suitable for larger landscapes.
- Renaissance Oasis® Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera ‘Oenci’): A birch species featuring peeling bark. The native River Birch (Betula nigra) is also recognized for its peeling bark with white, brown, and tan colors.
- American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana): An underutilized native woodland tree with distinctive, muscular-appearing gray bark, providing winter interest. It also displays a mix of fall colors and hop-like fruit, functioning as a multi-purpose small shade tree.
- Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis): A Michigan native tree that produces prominent pink to purple flowers directly on its bare branches in early spring. After flowering, green, heart-shaped leaves emerge, transitioning to bright yellow in the fall. It is a fast-growing ornamental tree suitable for home landscapes. Varieties include ‘Forest Pansy’ with purple leaves and purple flowers, and orange-yellow fall color, and ‘Hearts of Gold’ which features fuchsia flowers and glowing gold leaves that mature to soft green. ‘Lavender Twist®’ is an accent shrub with weeping branches and pink to purple flowers.
- Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera): One of the tallest native trees of eastern North America, recognized for its unique leaves and large yellow, tulip-shaped flowers (which may be difficult to observe due to height). It requires sufficient moisture and space for growth.
Native Shrubs
These shrubs provide visual interest and support local wildlife.
- Summerific® Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos parent species): These native perennials produce large 8-inch wide flowers. They are easy to maintain and provide food sources for local bee populations.
- Arctic Fire® Yellow Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘SMNCSBD’): A compact, hardy shrub suitable for northern landscapes, with yellow stems that add color in winter. The ‘Arctic Fire® Red Twig Dogwood’ is a similar compact dwarf form with red stems for winter interest.
- Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana): A large shrub with an upright, wide-spreading growth habit. It displays fragrant, bright yellow, strap-shaped flowers and golden fall foliage in autumn. It can be cultivated as a large shrub or small tree.
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis): A small tree or multi-stemmed shrub suitable for small home landscapes. It offers white flowers in spring, edible reddish-purple berries in June, fall color (red, orange, yellow), and smooth gray bark. The Allegheny Serviceberry is also noted for its deer resistance.
Native Perennials
These perennials return annually, providing sustained color and supporting pollinators.
- Catmint (Nepeta hybrid / Nepeta faassenii): A long-blooming perennial. ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Catmint (2021 Proven Winners Perennial of the Year) produces indigo blue flowers, with rosy purple calyxes extending the color. ‘Cat’s Meow’ Catmint is a uniform grower with dense, non-flopping flowers. ‘Purrsian Blue’ Catmint offers periwinkle-blue flowers from early summer to fall. Catmint is also a fragrant, deer-resistant plant.
- Coneflower (Echinacea): These resilient, drought-tolerant plants are suitable for summer planting. Their vibrant, daisy-like flowers attract bees and butterflies. ‘Sombrero® Adobe Orange Coneflower’ has orange flowers with copper cones and draws pollinators.
- Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa): This selection is noted for attracting butterflies to gardens. It produces golden orange flower clusters over narrow green foliage from summer into early fall, and is generally easy to grow and drought-tolerant once established.
- Grand Parade Beebalm (Monarda ‘Grand Parade’): This plant yields clusters of fragrant lilac-purple flowers from mid-summer to early fall, effective when massed and suitable for cutting.
- Kobold Blazing Star (Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’): Features spikes of violet flowers above grassy foliage from mid-summer to early fall, suitable for cutting.
- Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis): An extraordinary plant with indigo blue spikes of pea-flowers appearing from late spring to early summer over medium green foliage. It creates an outstanding display as an accent in garden beds or patio containers and is drought tolerant once established.
- Virginia Bluebells : Displays nodding blue, bell-shaped flowers in mid to late spring, emerging from fuchsia buds. Its pointy leaves remain bluish-green throughout the season.
Guidelines for Successful Planting
For successful planting of native or other plant varieties from Everett’s Gardens, consider the following practices:
- Consistent Watering: For newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials, consistent and deep watering is essential. Water immediately after planting, then daily for the first week, gradually decreasing frequency while increasing duration as the plant becomes established.
- Mulch Application: Apply a 2-4 inch layer of organic mulch around the base of new plantings to help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Ensure mulch is kept a few inches away from the plant’s stem or trunk to prevent rot.
- Soil Preparation: Confirm that your planting area is well-drained and enriched with organic matter to enhance nutrient availability and promote healthy root growth.
- AquaPots for Containers: For container plantings, AquaPots are self-watering containers that can provide continuous water supply for days or weeks. They utilize 75% less water than drip irrigation and require 50% less potting soil.
To explore Michigan native plants for your garden, or for further guidance on plant care, please visit Everett’s Gardens at 240 84th Street SE, Byron Center, MI 49315. Our team can assist with selecting plants suitable for your landscape needs.