Michigan Native Plants

Find the best selection of indigenous species for the State of Michigan here at Nature Hills Nursery and support native wildlife with plants that thrive in your area!

Choosing natives means knowing your tree will thrive where it is well suited to climate and soil because it originated there! You’ll feed pollinators, provide seeds for songbirds, and create shelter, food, and forage for a wide variety of wildlife like the American Robin, which is the Michigan state bird.

Native trees need less water once established, establish faster, and tolerate the changing climate, weather, and anything else your State has in store for them.

Best Michigan Native Trees

The Wolverine State can have a varied range of habitats coniferous forest, deciduous forest, as well as savanna and grassland. Ranging from USDA growing zone 4 to 6, Michigan is sandwiched between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and can have cold winters and warm summers with a wide range of fluctuating temperatures throughout the year.

Find your Hardiness Zone, and then choose any tree that has a range that includes yours! Check with your local County Extension Office for more information if needed and for the many microclimates within these zones.

Best Native Evergreen Trees For Michigan

Many conifers and broadleaf evergreens can be found in Michigan’s mixed forests, including the state tree - the Eastern White Pine! Check out these trees that keep their leaves year-round for privacy, slow down the wind and drifting snow, and add winter interest.

• American Larch (deciduous conifer)
• Balsam Fir
• Eastern Hemlock
• Eastern Red Cedar Tree (Redcedar)
• Eastern White Pine
• Possomhaw Holly
• Red Pine

Native Flowering Trees to Grow in Michigan

Feed pollinators and hummingbirds nectar and pollen they evolved alongside in your State! Many of these trees are host plants for native pollinator larvae too!

• American Basswood/Linden Trees
• Black Locust Tree
• Dogwood - Pagoda, White, Pink & Red Flowering, Gray, Roughleaf, Silky, & Swamp 
• Eastern Redbud Tree
• Pussy Willow Tree
• Tulip Poplar/Tulip Tree
• Witch Hazel (American Witchhazel)

What Are Native Shade Trees in Michigan?

Michigan has warm summers requires a good shade tree that can also handle snow load, and goes big with an autumn show.

• American Beech Tree
• American Chestnut
• American Elm Tree
• American Hornbeam 
• American Hop Hornbeam
• American Sycamore
• Ash - Mountain, White & Green
• Birch Trees - River & Paper Bark
• Black Gum Tree
• Black Willow Tree
• Box Elder Tree (Boxelder)
• Buckeye Trees - Ohio & Red
• Cottonwood/Eastern Cottonwood Tree
• Hackberry/Common Hackberry Trees & Sugarberry Tree
• Kentucky Coffee Tree
• Maple Trees - Black, Silver, Red, & Sugar
• Northern Catalpa Tree
• Oak Trees - Black, Bur, Chestnut Oak, Northern Red, Pin, Scarlet, Shingle, Shumard's, Swamp White & White
• Quaking Aspen
• Sassafras Tree
• Washington Hawthorn Tree

Native Fruit & Nut Trees in Michigan

We love edible landscaping trees that look great and feed you and your local wildlife.

• American Plum/Wild Plum Tree
• Black Cherry Tree
• Black Walnut Tree
• Hazelnut/Native American Filbert
• Bitternut, Butternut, Pignut, Red, Shellbark & Shagbark Hickory Trees
• Paw Paw (Pawpaw) Trees
• Red Mulberry Tree
• Allegheny & Downy Serviceberry

Much Needed Natives!

Help keep your State's native biodiversity intact by planting trees native to your area! Nature Hills is committed to helping you preserve your State’s unique beauty with plants and trees that are sure to do well in your garden without impacting your native landscape!

Whether you are adding shade or flowers, privacy, or a long-lasting legacy to your landscape, Nature Hills is here to help you find the perfect tree for your Michigan landscape!