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 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
Native Trees
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 |
Upland Conditions Trembling Aspen – Populus temuloides |
Wildflowers
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 | 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 |
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 | Tall – Upland Conditions (Over Three Feet) Sunflowers (Perennial) – Helianthus spp. False sunflower – Heliopsis helianthoides Goldenrod – Solidago spp. |
Grasses & Sedges
Short – Wet Conditions (Four Feet and Under) Fox sedge – Carex vulpinoidea Cotton grass – Eriophorum angustifolium Sweet Grass – Hierochloe odorata Tussock sedge – Carex stricta | 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 |
Tall – Wet Conditions (Over Four Feet) Hardstem bulrush – Schoenoplectus acutus Prairie cordgrass – Spartina pectinata Wool grass – Scirpus cyperinus Threesquare bulrush – Schoenoplectus americanus | Tall – Upland Conditions (Over Four Feet) Big bluestem – Andropogon gerardii Switchgrass – Panicum virgatum Indian grass – Sorghastrum nutans |
Native Shrubs
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 | 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
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 | 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 |
Invasive Species to Avoid
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
Suggested Websites for Additional Information
- Michigan State University – Native Plants and Ecosystem Services website
Additional Resources
| Title | Link |
|---|---|
| Rain Garden Mural: Inspiring Nature-based Stormwater Solutions | |
| Northern Michigan’s Native Plants | |
| Native Plants of Northern Michigan | |
| Landscape Alternatives for Invasive Plants | |
| How to Plant A Rain Garden | |
| Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center Waterfront Resource Guide |
