Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Michigan · Zones 4–6
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Michigan
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. 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 Wild Bergamot and Butterfly Weed — is filtered to species genuinely native to Michigan and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 4–6. Drought-tough natives earn their reputation with deep roots, so the secret is patience: water them through the first season while those roots reach down, then taper off and let them fend for themselves. Plant in fall or early spring, give them sharp drainage and full sun, and resist the urge to coddle — overwatering kills more of these than any heat wave.
The plants
34 native species for Michigan
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–6 · see this collection in other states.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1.5–3 ft tall and blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 6–16 in tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — standing firm in the dry clay that defeats softer plants — 2–3 ft tall, and blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot — 3–5 ft tall, and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 6–12 in tall and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 5–8 ft tall and blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–2 ft tall and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1–2 ft tall and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 2–3.5 ft tall and blooms May through Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 4–8 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 5–10 ft tall and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 4–8 in tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1–3 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 3–5 ft tall and blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot — 3–5 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
10 more also qualify: Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Compass Plant, Virginia Creeper, Pennsylvania Sedge, Prairie Dropseed, Indian Grass, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem.
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.