What Small Trees Will Live in Northern Michigan?

For Flowers

• Northern Michigan falls within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 5, so choose small trees that grow within these zones. For gorgeous blooms, plant an alternative-leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia). This Michigan native is hardy in USDA zone 4 and grows to 25 feet tall. Its horizontal branches produce a profusion of aromatic white flowers in late spring. The Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) grows from 15 to 25 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zone 4. It produces dramatic white blooms in midspring; for even more color, plant the "Prince Charles" cultivar. This 25-foot-tall variety blooms in mid-April and has orange-red new foliage growth.

For Fruits

• Some small trees bear fruits that attract wildlife and can be eaten by humans, such as the common pawpaw (Asimina triloba). A Michigan native, this deciduous tree is hardy in USDA zone 5 and grows to about 15 feet tall and wide. It produces 5-inch-long, green-yellow fruits that age to black; the fruits taste like bananas and are a good sources of vitamins A and C. Another Michigan native, the serviceberry species Amelanchier canadensis is hardy in USDA zone 4 and grows to 20 feet tall. It blooms in spring with long racemes of fragrant white flowers, followed by edible red fruits that mature to black. The serviceberry attracts birds to your landscape.

For Screening

• For privacy screens or a living fence in your northern Michigan landscape, choose evergreens that keep their foliage year-round. The Nana Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra "Nana") grows slowly to 20 feet tall. Hardy in USDA zone 3, this European native has dense, blue-green needles. If you have a shady planting site, choose the "Sargentii" Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis "Sargentii"), a North American native that's hardy in USDA zone 3. This evergreen has broad, weeping branches and grows to 15 feet tall.

For Fall Color

• The black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), a Michigan native, is prized for its showy, bright red, orange, yellow and purple fall foliage. While the species grows to 50 feet tall, the "Autumn Cascades" cultivar has an attractive, weeping shape and grows to only 10 feet tall. It's hardy in USDA zone 5. For bright, multicolored foliage, the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) delivers. This North American native grows quickly to 25 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zone 4.