Takeaways from Plant this, Not that: Native Replacements for Common Landscaping Plants

At the September 2024 Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) event, chapter co-founder and membership chairperson Derek Shaffer discussed native plant alternatives to planting common landscaping plants in your garden.

And why everyone should consider planting native plants to increase plant diversity, provide wildlife with the food and shelter they need, as well as reduce mowing and watering.

The event was in-person and online. Shoutout to the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center for hosting the event.

Thanks to the Zoom livestream, I watched Shaffer’s presentation with 16 other online folks interested in native plants.

Here are my notes.

Plant this, Not that: Native Replacements for Common Landscaping Plants

• In the 1800’s, the majority of Wayne County, Michigan was a beech-maple forest, with oak savannah, wet prairie, emergent marsh, sand dune, and many other habitats

• Due to population grown and suburban sprawl, much of those habitats are gone, with a dominance of turfgrass, non-native/invasive plants as well concrete roads in city and suburban areas

• Rather than planting Leucanthemum × superbum (Shasta Daisy), consider Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) or Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan).

  Both are host plants for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly.

• One alternative native plant for Forsythia is Lindera benzoin (Spicebush), which prefers full sun or part-shady areas. Sporting yellow flowers in spring, Spicebush is a host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies.

  Another alternative to Forsythia is Amelanchier arborea (Serviceberry), with white flowers in spring and purple fruit in fall.

  Both plants are spring bloomers, like Forsythia.

• An alternative to Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) is Spiraea alba (Meadowsweet), a shrub with fragrant white flowers and a host plant for the Summer Azure butterfly.

• I see it everywhere! Pennisetum (Fountaingrass) is a popular landscaping plant for homes and commercial buildings. People love the tall grass.

  Instead of Pennisetum, consider Sorghastrum nutans with blue-green summer foilage and golden-bronze seed heads.

  Or Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple love grass), with flowers that bloom in late summer to early fall, turning purple.

• Only one lupine is native to Michigan, Lupinus perennis (Sundial Lupine). Which is a host plant for the Karner Blue butterfly, a federally-listed endangered species.

• Instead of Vinca minor (Common periwinkle), consider planting Phlox divaricata (Wild Sweet William), or Fragraria virginiana (Wild Strawberry).

• Alternative native plants for Hydrangeas (which are often bred to have sterile sepals): Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush), a host plant for the Silver-spotted Skipper. Best for wet areas with some shade.

  Or Potentilla fruticosa (Shrubby cinquefoil) for hot, dry areas.

  (Personal note: I have both growing in my garden.)

• Lots of native plant alternatives for Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage).

  Why don’t you want to use it? It spreads aggressively via runners and can be difficult to remove. Consider Monarda punctata (Spotted Bee Balm) or Agastache foeniculum (Blue Giant Hyssop).

• Non-native honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) and Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry) are prime habitat for deer ticks.

• If you can, buy your native plants locally where you’re likely to get a local genotype.

  One of our local native plant nurseries in Wayne County, Michigan is Michiganense Natives in Plymouth, Michigan.

  Another is Barson’s Greenhouse in Westland, Michigan, which is closed for the season. It reopens in November for end-of-year holidays.

• When you find lists of recommended native plants, confirm the plant is native to your area.

  For example, a plant may be native to a specific county in the Upper Peninsula, but not native to a southeast Michigan county.

• From Michigan State University (based on research), Native Flowering Plants that Attract Beneficial Insects, offers 46 Michigan native plant species that were once found in Michigan prairie or oak savanna habitats.

  Once common in Michigan, prairies and oak savannas are now rare, as are many of the plants and animals that formerly utilized these habitats.

  By returning these plants to Michigan landscapes, we may be able to increase both pollination and pest control in agricultural crops while enhancing our native biodiversity

• Useful resource from Xerces Society: Planting for Helpful Predators: How “Natural Enemies” Can Control Garden Pests for You