5 Best Plants for the Michigan Winter Landscape

Michigan Winter Landscape Plants, Ypsilanti, MI

​   While we only spend about 8 months out of the year making alterations to customers yards, you see your landscape every day. In landscape design, there is a big emphasis on spring colors but don't you want a yard that catches the eye year round? These 5 plants are suited to Michigan's climate while bringing a sparkle to cold, dreary months.

1. Chinese Witch Hazel

​   These small trees grow to be about 15ft tall and wide. Yellow wispy blooms start to appear in early February and can last through March. Another option is Common Witch Hazel. Although it blooms in November and December with less dramatic flowers, it is a Michigan Native.

2. Winter Berry (Michigan Holly)

   Unlike most hollies, Winter Berry is a deciduous shrub. What it lacks in winter foliage it makes up for with an abundance of bright red berries. Winter Berry is best planted in groups. It is dioecious, meaning only female plants will produce berries and need a male close by for pollination.

3. Colorado Blue Spruce

  

​   These spruce are a great pick because of their attractive color and low maintenance needs. They only grow to about 50 ft. tall and don't drop needles prolifically like pine trees. On top of that, their dense structure provides an opaque screen year round.

4. Red Twigged Dogwood

  


​   These medium sized shrubs come in many different varieties. New growth has a vibrant red color that stands out against snow once the leaves drop in the fall. They look great in mass plantings and tolerate poor, wet soil. There is also a Michigan Native variety available.

5. Ornamental Grasses

  

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​   Ornamental grasses come in a variety of sizes so there's something to suit nearly any space. These grasses should be cut down annually in the spring or fall. Waiting till the spring can add some interest to your winter landscape.

Photo credit: rkramer62 via Foter.com / CC BY