| Congratulations on your first home! It’s great that you are interested in planting a groundcover native to Michigan. The native vegetation of what is now called Michigan is quite varied due to the differing conditions of the upper and lower pennisula. Some plants may be native to one area of Michigan, and not another. For the most successful landscaping, it’s best to select native plants that are native not only to your state, but to the area of your state in which you live. There are many resources available to you in Michigan for finding the best native groundcover for your state, and area: Michigan Native Plant Producers Association: The Michigan Native Plant Producers Association (at the link below) has a list of nurseries that carry native plants on their website. You can check with the nursery closest to you to find out more about the natural conditions of your particular area in Michigan and what will grow best in your hardiness zone, soil, and general climate. Wildflower Association of Michigan: http://www.wildflowersmich.org/index.php?menu=9 Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation page: This page has some good information about how to select native plants: http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/NAP/NativePlants/Pages/NativePlants.aspx If you’re interested, here’s an article that describes Michigan’s complex native plant areas: http://www.earthscape.org/t2/scr01/scr01f.html You can also check with your local Cooperative Extension about native plants for your area. Just google the name of your town or county plus the words "cooperative extension" to locate yours. Good luck! |