Native Plant Resources

Native plants support wildlife, specifically pollinators, because the birds, bees, butterflies, and other bugs we have in Michigan all evolved to depend on the plants that naturally occur here. Invasive and/or non-native plants do not support wildlife either at all or as much and crowd out beneficial flora. Native plants also do not need any pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers that are bad for people and the planet. Conversely, when you go native, you recognize that what’s good for nature is good for neighbors!

When planting native plants, a balance of bloom times will ensure nectar and pollen are available from spring to fall. All native plant nurseries sell starter kits that make it easy to begin without having to do any more thinking than how much space do I have, what is the moisture level of the soil, and how much sun does that space get? We suggest sourcing from native plant nurseries in Michigan or the Midwest to ensure you get plants native to Michigan that are wild-type (no native cultivars), do not employ pesticides and herbicides, and properly label their plants. (We suggest avoiding big-box stores that are not native-only nurseries.)

• Get Started Planting Natives Guides: Homegrown National Park 
• Creating Your Own Native Garden: Wild Ones
• Creating A Pollinator Garden: Bee Friendly Gardening
• Establishing Your Native Habitat: Plants for Ecology
• Eastern Broadleaf Forest Guide to Native Plants: Bee Friendly Gardening
• Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, by Doug Tallamy
• Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design, by Benjamin Vogt 
• Landscaping with Native Plants of Michigan, by Lynn M. Steiner 

• East Michigan Natives (Durand, MI - woman and Native American owned!)
• Michiganense Natives (Plymouth, MI)
• Designs by Nature (Laingsburg, MI) 
• Wildtype Nursery (Mason, MI)
• Feral Flora Nursery (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Detroit Abloom (Detroit, MI)
• Plants for Ecology (Troy, MI)
• Listing of other Michigan nurseries  

• Possibility Place (Illinois - probably my favorite mail-order with excellent roots!)
• Prairie Nursery (Wisconsin)
• Prairie Moon Nursery (Minnesota)  

• Rain Gardens to the Rescue course organized by the Friends of the Rouge and the Sierra Club. 
• Washtenaw County Master Rain Gardeners (in-person and free online course)
• Plants for Rain Gardens
• DIY Rain Garden Guidance

Rain barrel kits (with stand, hose, barrel, and converter) can be purchased from Upcycle Products via sales at Friends of the Rouge and the Clinton River Watershed Council each spring.

• RiverSafe LakeSafe (Clinton River Watershed Council)
• Certified Rain Garden (Friends of the Rouge)
• Certified Master Rain Gardener (Washtenaw County and Partners)
• Certified Backyard Habitat (Oakland County Conservation District)
• Certified Wildlife Habitat (National Wildlife Federation)
• Certified Monarch Waystation (Monarch Watch)
• Certified Plants for Birds (Audubon Society)
• Certified Bee-Friendly Garden (Bee Friendly Gardening)
• Certified Native Habitat (Wild Ones)
• Certified Butterfly Garden (North American Butterfly Association)
• Homegrown National Park Biodiversity Map (Homegrown National Park)

• Wildflower Association of Michigan: Dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Michigan’s native flowers.
• Michigan Botanical Society, the native plant organization of Michigan. 
• Homegrown National Park: raises awareness and urgently inspires everyone to address the biodiversity crisis by adding native plants and removing invasive ones where we live, work, learn, pray, and play.