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July & August are peak months for exploring Rouge Park’s restored prairie. Insects hum, birds forage, and wildflowers burst into bloom. On July 25, the season’s first goldenrod caught my eye, a sure sign we’re entering prairie high summer and that fall is right around the corner! Here are just a few of the standout species lighting up the landscape right now:
The prairie is not just a place of beauty—it’s a living library of botanical relationships, ecological strategies, and pollinator paradise. Come walk it while it’s loud with bloom and buzzing with life.
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My biggest issue working in the field this month? Mosquito season. It’s in full swing—hot, wet, and buzzing. In Michigan, mosquito season typically runs from May to October, with peak activity from June through August. They thrive in warm, humid conditions, especially once temps stay above 60°F, and are most active in shady areas—often the same places overrun by invasive shrubs.
Mosquitoes played a major role in shaping Michigan’s history. They hindered early colonial settlement in Detroit and surrounding areas due to mosquito-borne illnesses, especially malaria. The Great Black Swamp in northeast Ohio prevented many from settling Waawiyaatanong (“curved shores”) aka Detroit. Researchers estimate malaria caused 50–75% of illnesses in Michigan prior to 1880. In response, colonizers aggressively drained wetlands—actions that now contribute to flooding, biodiversity loss, and declining water quality by disrupting nutrient sinks and groundwater recharge. This year, a student visiting the park asked if we could just kill all the mosquitoes. The answer? Technically yes—but should we? Mosquitoes serve critical ecological roles. As aquatic larvae, they feed fish, dragonfly nymphs, and other insects. As adults, they become food for birds, bats, frogs, lizards, and more. They also help transfer nutrients from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems, linking different parts of the food web. We’re already deep in the “Great Insect Die-Off.” Some studies report up to a 75% drop in insect populations over recent decades. Many mosquito-control methods are nonspecific and risk harming pollinators and other vital insects. So yes—leave the mosquitos alone… and get better skin protection; we’re covered in bug jackets and masks while removing invasive and building trails this summer. One invasive we’re focused on eliminating is multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), brought from Asia in the 1800s. It’s a dense, arching shrub that spreads aggressively by seed and suckers. Look for clusters of small white flowers (20+ per bunch) and leaves with 9+ leaflets and fringed stipules at the base. In contrast, native roses—like Rosa blanda, R. carolina, R. palustris, and R. setigera—are smaller, more open, and non-aggressive. They have pink flowers (usually solitary or in small groups), bloom mid-summer, and have 5–7 leaflets without fringed stipules. Lately, I’ve spotted plenty blooming around town: birdsfoot trefoil (invasive), chicory, fleabane, St. John’s wort, catalpa trees, knapweed (invasive), peonies, lilies, and lavender. And the prairie? It’s coming alive. I highly recommend hiking every few weeks to catch what’s blooming: common motherwort, Deptford pink, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, lance-leaf tickseed, bee balm, narrowleaf mountain mint, sulphur cinquefoil (invasive), yarrow, wild bergamot, verbena, ox-eye daisy (invasive), and butterfly weed. The lupines should pop soon. |
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