Allium spp.

The largest ornamental member of the onion family is scattered throughout our gardens, with our largest display being right beneath our line of flags. With large, spherical heads of small star-shaped flowers, Allium is a hard to miss must-see here in our gardens.

Rhododendron (Pentanthera) spp.

With 11,285 varieties and counting, Azaleas come in any color imaginable. Our gardens have both large bushes and small shrubs of these flowers all over in a wide range of colors, thanks to the millennium of cultivation they've undergone.

Iris Germanica

We have quite a few large clusters of Bearded Irises scattered all over our gardens! These flowers—native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere—come in a wide variety of colors and attract bees with their wide, showy petals.

Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Walking the paths around our Post-House, you can see long strings of heart-shaped pink flowers peeking through the green. The Asian Bleeding Heart loves shade, and its unique flower shape attracts bees and hummingbirds—its beauty contrasted with its toxicity mirrors the flower’s tragic origin myth.

Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly Weed, a native to North America hanging out around our Post-House, is a relative of milkweed and a popular perennial for monarch waystations. Indigenous peoples used its roots to treat lung inflammation and other pulmonary ailments. Now, the plant mainly serves as a host for dozens of specialized and generic insect species found in Michigan.

Asteraceae Coreopsis spp.

Once used as a source for vibrant fabric dyes by the Indigenous peoples of North and South America, Calliopsis forms a beautiful flowering ground cover with notch-petaled yellow flowers. If you find yourself by our Organ House, you can easily spot a carpet of these flowers by their golden glow.

Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Aphrodite’

Following the scent of strawberries or bananas, you’ll find the Carolina Allspice behind our Post House. Nicknamed “sweetshrub” due to its fragrance, this bush has large maroon or wine-red blooms and bowl shaped petals designed to attract beetles, their main pollinator.

Myosotis scorpioides

Pockets of these little blue flowers are sprinkled everywhere in our gardens! Like their native regions in Europe and Siberia, Forget-me-nots prefer shaded, moist soils here at Windmill. Functioning as cultural symbols of enduring memory, these plants also function as ecological endurers that stabilize soil and prevent erosion due to their dense, rapid-spread growth.

Geraniaceae Geranium spp.

Scattered around our Organ House and Post-House, we have small clusters of perennial geraniums (yes, they do come as a perennial!). Native to regions of Eastern and Central North America, these plants are the true “Geranium”; the annual Geraniums commonly bought are from a different genus of plants native to Southern Africa.

Alcea Rosea

Fun fact about Holyhocks: they bloom in every color—even a near-black shade—except for blue! These members of the hibiscus family native to China, Turkey, and Southwestern Asia tend to be biennial and only flower in their second year. Here at Windmill, they can be found along the fence at the entrance to the gardens close to the Organ House.

Asparagaceae Hosta Tratt. spp.

Nicknamed the “friendship plant” because they’re easy to dig up and share with others, Hostas can be found everywhere in our garden under trees and in pools of shade. Their flowers scale from white to deep-purple with a tubular, bell-like shape.

Syringa reticulata

Despite being scientifically recorded quite recently (in 1875!), the Japanese Lilac Tree has been feeding butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds nectar—and giving humans a source of respiratory relief—in Northern China and Japan for centuries. Here in the park, the tree currently lines the walkway running alongside the canal on our windmill island with a fantastic mid-summer blooming show.

Lamiaceae Lavandula spp.

Traditional Mediterranean uses of Lavender varieties range from cosmetic to medicinal antimicrobial agents and stress relievers. While Windmill values the ornamental beauty of Lavender, our gardens also utilize its bug repellent properties. Large clumps of the plant are placed near some of our more vulnerable flowers, like the roses in front of the Post-House.

Leucojum aestivum

This early spring flower is a show-stopper with its white, bell-shaped blossoms glistening like pearls in the garden. Related to onions, this plant grows from bulbs perennially in well-draining soil in full or partial sun.

Syringa spp.

Should you find yourself by our Organ House, make sure to enjoy the scent of the nearby lilac tree! Even after centuries of cultivation, this flower’s heavy perfume still echoes that of its relatives native to the Balkan Peninsula and Eastern Asia. The highly fragrant tubular flowers attract pollinators, and the scent’s chemical compounds naturally reduce stress and calm the mind.

Viola wittrockiana

Nothing says "Spring!" like the sunny-faced pansy! You'll find hundreds of them planted in containers and beds throughout the gardens each spring. Pansies can grow as perennials in USDA hardiness zones 4-8, but do not do well in summer heat and will cease blooming.

Asteraceae leucanthemum spp.

Out by our Post-House, a small cluster of stars pokes up through the ground. Once used in temperate regions of Europe and Asia as cough and cold relief, this particular cultivar of shasta daisy has the puffed appearance of a chrysanthemum paired with the star-shaped centers of a daisy that bees and butterflies love.