Michigan Native Plants - Displayed by Common Name in Ascending Order

Full Speed A Hedge® ‘American Pillar’ arborvitae is a sport of ‘Hetz Wintergreen’ selected for its very rapid growth rate, dense branching structure, and tall, narrow habit. It maintains this useful desirable columnar shape with minimal pruning. It has tremendous potential in both the residential and commercial landscape market, and is an excellent specimen plant.

No pruning is necessary to maintain the flattened shape of this distinctive arborvitae. The juvenile foliage turns a lovely blue hue in fall and winter.

We love plants with interesting architecture, and this selection of our native Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) takes skinny to the max with its sword-like silhouette. Use it to make an exclamation point in garden designs, or fit it into a very narrow bed. Certain to be iconic plant in well-designed landscapes everywhere, from the Shire to Shreveport.

Irresistible dwarf evergreen. Tater Tot® arborvitae is a delightful dwarf globe thuja, a bit taller than it is wide, with swirling fans of deep green foliage. A seedling of ‘Brandon,’ it is hardy and maintains good color all year round. It’s also faster growing than ‘Danica’ or ‘Hetz Midget.’ Outstanding container presentation and huge appeal at retail. Formerly sold as Tiny Tot® thuja.

An excellent choice for a low-maintenance landscape. This versatile, perfectly round evergreen can be used in borders, rock gardens, to enhance foundation plantings or highlighted as a specimen, especially in formal gardens. The foliage varies dramatically from more common arborvitae. Soft, finely textured needles are sage green and almost feathery in appearance. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil but will tolerate light shade.

A nearly perfectly globe-shaped shrub with fine, bright gold spring foliage and fantastic deep red fall color. This sport of the popular ‘Rheingold’ has deeper color and is less prone to splitting. A slow growing, low maintenance evergreen perfect for massing in a landscape foundation or as a rock garden specimen.

A very cool evergreen that adds elegance to your garden all year round! This narrow columnar selection of ‘Wintergreen’ has excellent hardiness and dark green winter foliage color. More narrow than Emerald Green. Selected by Art Boe of Faribault, MN, it is resistant to winter burn. The tight, columnar habit makes this a great specimen or screen for narrow sites. Use as a bold accent plant in mixed borders.

A very popular, tight pyramidal form with shiny, bright emerald-green foliage and good winter color. A real beauty!

Woodwardii has been a very reliable Arborvitae variety for many, many years - performs well year after year. Small to medium globe shaped evergreen with very showy, rich deep green foliage which holds its color very well in the winter. No pruning needed, will NOT become overgrown. Excellent for an accent plant. Makes an excellent foreground planting, and is also a good choice as a lower growing screen / hedge when planted closely together ( 3 ft or so ). Very low maintenance.

In fall, this classic cultivar becomes a glowing mass of vibrant pink daisy-like flowers that will stop traffic on your street. ‘Alma Potschke’ grows 4 ft. tall but can be pinched once or twice in late spring or early summer for more compact plants.

Also called Aster divaricata, White Wood Aster has small white petals with yellow to red centers. Overall, the flowers are star-like from a distance. It is native to the eastern U.S., from Maine to Alabama. This Aster grows exceptionally well in light shade well-drained soil. Eurybia chlorolepis used to be a sub-species of E. divaricata but the differences are extremely minute.

Glossy bronze-red foliage is topped with masses of pink flowers in July and August. Tolerates high heat and humidity. Compared to ‘Husker’s Red’ this beauty is taller and has much darker foliage which stays darker.

Finally, a Black Eyed Susan that’s resistant to the Septoria leaf spot! Thanks to the thinner and hairier leaves, this hybrid Rudbeckia shows no signs of the fungus even in wet, humid conditions. A dome-like habit of golden yellow flowers with black centers are produced heavily from July to September here in Michigan, with some color until frost. Destined to be the new staple for landscapes! From Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens.

This mid-sized strain produces large brown-eyed daisy flowers for months on end, in a range of bicolor shades from yellow through gold, orange and bronzy-red. An outstanding cut flower. Removing faded blossoms regularly will greatly increase the flowering time. Seed heads have good winter interest, and can be used in dried arrangements. Fairly drought tolerant, once established. Wonderful in mixed containers. Fleuroselect.

Long-lasting, 4” red and yellow bicolor blooms top very vigorous and floriferous, heat-tolerant plants.

This powerhouse of a plant is just 2 feet tall, but sends up dozens upon dozens of giant daisies over a long season, bringing butterflies and bees to pay their respects all summer long. The long-lasting blooms combine rich shades of red and maroon with that trademark big black eye, so you can imagine how terrific they look in the vase.

‘Chocolate Orange’ Rudbeckia boasts large chocolate-mahogany 4” flowers adorned with beautifully contrasting orange tips. They bloom profusely from mid-summer to frost, providing weeks of eye-catching color. An outstanding cut flower, the seed heads have good winter interest unless they are used in dried arrangements.

Finally, a Black Eyed Susan that’s resistant to the Septoria leaf spot! Thanks to the thinner and hairier leaves, this hybrid Rudbeckia shows no signs of the fungus even in wet, humid conditions. A dome-like habit of golden yellow flowers with black centers are produced heavily from July to September here in Michigan, with some color until frost. Destined to be the new staple for landscapes! From Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens.

Flower heads are composed of bright yellow petals surrounding a green center. Suitable as a cut flower, or superb when massed in the border or wildflower garden. These cheery, easy-to-grow plants belong in every sunny garden.

Bold, oversized semi-double blooms with vivid yellow petals, a striking red ring, and rich brown centers. Large 4-6” flowers bloom heavily from transplanting to frost. Upright, densely branched and ounding habit.

A delightful mix of caramel and soft pink/red blooms. Flowers are semi double to fully double. Good heat tolerance and great for amateur cut flowers.

The ultimate nectar plant for Monarch butterflies! Purple flower spikes on upright, tall stems reach up to 5’, blooms late summer to early fall. Can grow in poor soils and is pest and disease resistant.

Spiky, dark green, grass-like foliage gives way to bright purplish-blue, star-like flowers. Though they bloom the heaviest in late spring and early summer, the plants may continue to bloom sporadically all summer long.

Big Bluestem are perfect for providing height and color to the garden, coming into prime a little earlier than other ornamental grasses. The foliage of ‘Blackhawks’ emerges deep green to dark purple in spring and deepens to near black by fall here in Michigan. This grass matures a little more than a foot shorter than ‘Indian Warrior’. One of the very best Big Bluestem from hybridizer Brent Horvath.

Dubbed the “monarch of the prairie”, this native grass was once the dominant component of the American tallgrass prairie. It adapts easily to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions as long as full sun is provided. This long-lived grass has a variety of uses including screening, naturalizing, restoring prairies, and nesting materials for birds and mammals.

Generous amounts of burgundy, daisy-like flowers with brown center disks. Scores of blooms appear from summer until fall with no deadheading. Choose this variety for naturalized areas, wildflower meadows, and borders. A short-lived perennial with pleasing tendencies to reseed. It is easy to grow in average, moist, well-drained soil.

A delightful mix of free-flowering plants provides shimmering color over many weeks. Clumps perform best when left undivided. Presents a great display in a wildflower garden or natural area. Drought tolerant.

A virtually hassle-free, very long lived perennial, this cultivar of our native A. tuberosa offers three months of golden yellow blooms from early through late summer. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one.

The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Gather bouquets of Asclepias all summer long; the long stems are wonderful for cutting and are long-lasting. Sear the ends of the cut stems over a flame to stop the milky sap from leaking out.

Following the fabulous flowers, green fruits develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs reminiscent of its cousin, common milkweed. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.

A virtually hassle-free, very long lived perennial, offering three months of tangerine orange blooms (occasionally red or yellow) from early through late summer. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Gather bouquets of Asclepias all summer long; the long stems are wonderful for cutting and are long-lasting. Sear the ends of the cut stems over a flame to stop the milky sap from leaking out.

Following the fabulous flowers, green fruits develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs reminiscent of its cousin, common milkweed. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.

Buttonbush has long been prized as a native, but it was way too big for most landscapes. Not anymore! We’ve cut the size in half and added colorful red fruit and glossy foliage. Add in cool looking, fragrant white flowers and you’ve got a delightful plant that shines from spring to fall.

The spikes of brilliant true blue flowers on this wetland native attract butterflies, hummingbirds and neighbors to your garden!

Evergreen, dark, shiny green fronds are leathery and lance-shaped and divided with holly-like leaflets. Typically grows in asymmetric fountain like clump. Young fiddleheads in spring have a silver sheen. This plant is given the common name Christmas fern because its evergreen fronds maintain their vibrant green color even at Christmas time, when the weather in its native range gets extremely cold, and can thus be used in decorations.

Multiple wands of bright violet-purple flowers open from top to bottom beginning in early summer. All together, Liatris is a very strong vertical accent for the garden. It is a staple item for cutting gardens.

An outstanding specimen plant for the partially shaded garden. Looking much like a very large white astilbe, Goat’s Beard has similar foliage and feathery, creamy white flower plumes up to 1 ft. long.

This hardy, strong growing hydrangea deliver loads of big blooms that emerge line green, change to white and then to green. The big flower heads are held up by sturdy stems that don’t droop, even after a heavy rain.

It’s the next big thing in hydrangeas!

This beauty has big, bodacious, blush-pink blooms that change to an attractive green color as they age. This very hardy variety blooms every year, even after harsh winters.

As the name suggests, Incrediball Storm Proof smooth hydrangea tackles the most common complaint people have with the genus: while other smooth hydrangeas flop, this incredibly stout and sturdy stemmed beauty holds its blooms upright during—and even after—heavy summer downpours. Though its blooms aren’t quite as gigantic as the original Incrediball®, they are so numerous and large in proportion to this compact variety that it absolutely lives up to the expectations associated with this now household name. It’s a robust, vigorous, heavy bloomer with a rounder, denser habit than other smooth hydrangeas.

Invincibelle Mini Mauvette™ hydrangea brings a never-before-seen color to the species, with large mophead flowers in a deep mauve-violet. Blooms are held on very strong stems and appear early summer through fall. Dwarf habit gives this native plant amazing versatility in the landscape and the garden. A whole new color for smooth hydrangeas!

The first red-flowered Hydrangea arborescens! The dark burgundy-red flower buds of Invincibelle® Ruby hydrangea open to a two-toned combination of bright ruby red and silvery pink. Rich, unique color isn’t the only thing that sets it apart from other smooth hydrangeas - it also has handsome dark foliage, very strong stems, and reblooms all season, producing fresh blooms into autumn.

This smooth hydrangea has the potential to revolutionize landscaping. Its sturdy compact frame reaches just 1-2.5’ tall and is covered in pure white mophead flowers from summer to fall. The blooms start white and age to shades of green and pink - and they keep coming, with fresh buds being produced through autumn. Strong stems prevent flopping. Now, everyone has room for this classic native flowering shrub - great in containers, too.

Blue Heaven™ has a taller, more upright habit that does not tend to flop like the species. In the summer, the foliage color is a brighter steel blue color with purple highlights, looking almost iridescent up close. From late summer through early fall, glossy purple panicles appear with fluffy tan seeds attached.

An improvement over the species, this cultivar was discovered and selected in a field of Schizachyrium seedlings by Mary Meyer at the University of Minnesota. The fall color is also improved over the species, including a mix of purple, blue, red, pink, burgundy, and orange pigments. This color persists into mid-fall, after which snow typically arrives in the Midwest.

This ornamental grass is a result of an extensive Schizachyrium breeding program from Walters Gardens, Inc. and is the perfect option for those looking to add to their native or prairie garden. The habit is very upright and columnar, and maintains its upright habit through fall. At 3½ feet tall, this grass will be the perfect backdrop to your garden. True to its name, ‘Blue Paradise’ has striking silvery blue stems in summer. In the fall, this grass takes center stage as the leaves develop a deep wine purple color. In early fall, tiny tan seed heads appear on the top half of the stems.

Like bristles on a paint brush the stems of ‘Brush Strokes’ stand vertical, bend gracefully with the wind, then return to their upright position. Powder blue stems take after their namesake before turning wine-red in early fall. Use this native perennial grass for its fine texture in summer then leave it standing in fall for winter interest.

This ornamental grass features strikingly colored, upright foliage with gently arching, bluish-bronze seed heads. Beautiful in the garden as a cool complement to vibrant colors or for naturalizing the landscape. Plumes are wonderful for winter interest.

The foliage of schizachyrium ‘Twilight Zone’ has an iridescent purplish-mauve cast that peaks in midsummer. Bright purple highlights appear in late fall. Though native Schizachyriums typically color up in fall, the new ‘Twilight Zone’ possesses a nearly iridescent silvery mauve purple cast all over the whole plant beginning in midsummer. It retains these eerily beautiful tones through fall when brighter purple highlights appear on the flower stems. The attractive foliage forms a strictly upright, narrowly columnar clump that is about half as wide as it is tall.

This grass would be stunning in combination with silver foliage plants like Silver Mound Artemisia in a sunny, hot, dry spot in the landscape.

These are the world-famous multi-colored lupines everyone loves. Spikey clusters of pea-like flowers in mixed colors. Palmate leaves are a good dark green. Flowers bloom white, pink, red and blue in late spring.

Compact plants with multiple spikes of pure blue Sweet Pea shaped flowers. Blooms 1st year from seed.

A compact, floriferous, early blooming Lupine! Beautiful spires of a mix of blue and white, pink and white, yellow, and red flowers. Unsurpassed when grown en masse!

‘Tutti Frutti Mix’ is an improved bicolor mix that produces an abundant display of robust, full, tight flower spikes boasting rich color combinations. This variety produces 36” inch, well formed plants that bloom from early spring to mid summer. Colors include: rose, red, orange, yellow, cream, light green, blue, and purple. The stately flower spikes are a cut flower dream and add a dynamic patchwork of color to any garden bed planting. This variety will self sow freely and each year you will see them thrive and mutate into a rich stained glass assortment of colors. An easy keeper, Lupine are not fussy about their soil type as long as it is well drained. This sun loving variety is magnificent in a wild flower field, meadow or in large swaths in vast landscape plantings.

Following many years of breeding and selecting, Thompson & Morgan has succeeded in developing a fantastic new mixed selection of Lupines. They exhibit the high quality flower spikes of expensive varieties from cuttings, but at the much more affordable cost of a seed grown variety.

Common Milkweed is the sole source of food for Monarch butterfly larvae. Large amounts of lavender buds open to reveal fragrant pink flowers in midsummer. This is one of the easiest and fastest to establish of the milkweeds, as it spreads rapidly by rhizomes and grows readily from seed.

A virtually hassle-free perennial, offering three months of vanilla-scented, white flowers in clean clusters from midsummer to early fall. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Following the fabulous flowers, typical milkweed seed pods develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.

This species grows in loose clumps by means of slowly creeping rhizomes. It is not invasive and can safely be mixed in with other perennials in the border. Ascelpias incarnata is native to North America.

‘Soulmate’ forms a tall, upright clump of long green leaves, bearing clusters of cherry-pink flowers with a tiny white center. These have a delightful vanilla fragrance and are a favorite of butterflies. Monarch butterflies also lay their eggs specifically on this plant, which the larvae use for food.

A new smaller version of purple-leafed Ninebark. This shrub has very compact branching and fine, deeply cut leaves. A very hardy shrub that requires little pruning, this unique native plant has pinkish-white, button-like flowers in mid-summer.

The flowers are so big and bright the flowers will stand out from all others! It produces an abundance of big yellow flowers from spring until late summer. Its dense habit and dark, healthy foliage add to its appeal. This is a wonderful, low-maintenance plant for adding bright color to the summer landscape.

Considered by many to be one of the most refined of all native prairie grasses, Prairie Dropseed has a soft, fountain-like look about it. The green leaves are very narrow, almost threadlike, and grow to form an 18 inch tall clump. It often turns rich shades of gold or deep orange in the fall and then light copper to creamy tan in winter.

In late summer, soft pinkish brown flowers are produced atop thin, arching stems held high above the foliage. These panicles are filled with distinctly sweet smelling seeds which smell like ground coriander. Though it produces an abundance of seeds, it is not known to seed invasively in the landscape.

This grass is very heat and drought tolerant because it is deep rooted. It is often planted en masse as a groundcover or as a specimen.

This handsome tree bears small pink flowers in spring before leaves appear. Later brown fruit pods form. It does well in sun and part shade.

Lavender-pink spring blooms are followed by new leaves tinged with orange, becoming bright golden. A unique color for weeping varieties, the foliage holds up well in sun and heat. The tall, narrow form is the perfect accent for small spaces. Deciduous.

With its velvety, deep burgundy foliage, Midnight Express® Redbud beautifies your landscape well beyond bloom time! Enjoy the bright pink, pea-shaped spring blooms of redbud with the bonus of healthy, richly colorful foliage and an appealing rounded shape. Winner of the Peoples’ Choice Award at the 2022 Farwest show!

Long and curling, spiraling coils of rush-like leaves burst up, out, and sideways from the base of this clumping marsh plant. A true oddity.

Countless small daisy-like flowers on well branched, upright stems. Vibrant flowers are excellent for late-season color in the garden or bouquet. A beautiful addition to butterfly gardens.

Perhaps the most upright Panicum, ‘Heavy Metal’s strong stems never flop or lean, even in heavy rains. Its metallic blue leaves turn bright yellow in the fall. Beginning in late summer or early fall, delicate pink panicles dance 12-16” above the foliage.

This selection forms a tall, narrow mound of olive-green leaves, bearing airy heads of tiny green flowers in late summer. Fall color is golden, fading to tan. Usually attractive in the garden all winter long. Flowers are good for cutting, fresh or dried. Trim back to the ground in early spring. Clumps are easily divided in spring. Drought tolerant once established.

Neither rain nor wind will knock this solid grass down! ‘Apache Rose’ has a dense, upright, columnar habit with grey-green leaves. In the fall, the tips of the leaves are flushed with a hint of rosy-red. While other green-leaved Switch Grass typically have cream or tan inflorescences, ‘Apache Rose’ has unique rose-colored flower panicles—a welcome color in the fall garden.

Shenandoah forms an upright clump of green leaves with distinctive red tips appearing by midsummer. Airy heads of tiny reddish flowers appear in August, followed by amazing deep purple-red fall color. Usually attractive in the garden all winter long. Flowers are good for cutting, fresh or dried. Trim back to the ground in early spring. Clumps are easily divided in spring. Drought tolerant once established.

A stately tree for large spaces. Flowers in May and early June with attractive greenish-yellow blossoms that have a tangerine tint at the base of the petals. Attractive yellow fall color. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and slightly acidic soil.