Local and regional nurseries with native plants
Kismet Gardens, located at 145000 Korhonen Road, Baraga, just off of US-41 and just a few miles south of Chassell. Owner David Hunter is a Keweenaw Wild Ones member and offers a good selection of native plants, which he grows himself, plus lovely vegetable starts in the spring.
Dennis Greenhouse, 28166 Ninth Ave. Lake Linden, 906-296-0920. They’ve been exploring the world of native plants for a few years now and very worthy of our patronage. If you don’t see the natives right away, be sure to ask.
Design by Nature, 550 Little Lake Road, Marquette. They don’t do in-person sales, except at farmers’ markets, but you can check out their website, place and order, and pick it up. These folks grow many of their plants from locally collected seeds, so you benefit from growing local genotypes. Great quality.
EverGreen Nursery, Skandia, 906-387-4350, 15-20 miles east of Marquette. They primarily supply commercial forest operations but also sell retail. They have LOTS of native trees and shrubs at reasonable prices. Do NOT try to find them from the mailing address on their site, which will take you to a dead-end back road where you will find nothing and no one. Their entrance is on M-94 in Rumely, just east of North Rumely Road. Yes, we suggested they change their website. As of this writing, they have not.
Hanson’s Garden Village, 2660 County Highway G, Rhinelander, Wis. Two greenhouses devoted to native plants, excellent quality and vast selection, very fair prices. Definitely worth a road trip.
Northern Natives EC Nursery, 5549 County Road 363, Newberry. A long ways away from the Keweenaw, but still in the U.P. I haven’t been there, but if you’re ever in Newberry, check it out and let us know what you think.
Grow it, build it has a list U.S. native plant nurseries broken down by state, including Michigan.
Flowers by Sleeman, 1201 Memorial Drive, in Houghton, sells a number of natives species of excellent quality in large pots. If you can find what you want, it’s an instant garden.
Nonprofit sales
Keweenaw Wild Ones has an annual sale. Join our chapter and get first choice and a discount.
Houghton-Keweenaw Conservation District has an annual sale that includes some native plants and a variety of fruit trees and other nonnatives.
Online nurseries
A number of online nurseries specialize in first-rate native plants. The heaviest hitters in our neck of the woods, with big selections and superb customer service, are
Prairie Nursery, Westfield, Wis.
Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, Minn.