Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A mat-forming native, 1.5–3 ft tall and 1.5–2 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds — it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Michigan · Zones 4–6
Native Groundcover Plants in Michigan
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. Michigan sits in a landscape of Great Lakes forest & dune, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental, lake-moderated character. The list below — led by Common Yarrow and Woodland Phlox — is filtered to species genuinely native to Michigan and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 4–6. A living native groundcover does everything mulch does and then keeps doing it for free — covering soil, blocking weeds, and feeding wildlife as it goes. Match the spreader to the site (sun or shade, wet or dry), plant on tight centers so they close ranks in a season or two, and weed faithfully that first year while they fill in.
The plants
13 native species for Michigan
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–6 · see this collection in other states.
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Knits across the ground 12–18 in wide and just 10–15 in tall, no mowing needed; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Spreads low — 6–12 in tall, 1–2 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Knits across the ground 12–18 in wide and just 6–16 in tall, no mowing needed, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A mat-forming native, 1.5–2 ft tall and 1.5–2 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Carpets bare soil 3–6 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, pink-white bells flowers, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Runs 1.5–2 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 4–8 in, holding soil where lawn won't, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
A low 4–8 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 12–18 in wide and shades out weeds, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A mat-forming native, 2–6 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Runs 10–20 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 30–50 ft, holding soil where lawn won't, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Carpets bare soil 1.5–2.5 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, happy in rocky and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1–2 ft wide, no taller than 6–12 in.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Spreads low — 2–3 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Michigan
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.