Prairie Revival Ecological

Say no to this invasive garden guest! Swap it out for a native shrub that supports local wildlife without rolling out the red carpet for ticks.

As we continue to highlight invasive species you might spot around Michigan’s trails, we think you’ll love this one…well, at least the ticks do. 😬 Say hello to Japanese barberry (or “bruh-berry” as it was coined when we told somebody about the ticks). Let’s explain.

Do you like hiking through thorny underbrush? If you said yes, please find help. If you said no, that’s good and you should not be a fan of barberry. These common landscaping plants have unfortunately escaped into wooded areas, where they literally change the pH of soil around them. This invasive feeds very few insects, meaning birds, mammals and other insects can’t eat them. You know what does enjoy them? Ticks!

These shrubs provide a humid environment that ticks LOVE. There can be 12 times as many black-legged ticks in areas with this invasive present as areas without. Yeah. Bet you want to know what they look like now, don’t you?

To identify Japanese barberry, look for spoon-shaped leaves that have a sharp spine where they attach (shown in the photo).

How can you help stop the spread to new areas?

✅ Clean your shoes, pets and gear to slow the spread of seeds from this invasive species.

✅ Don’t. Buy. It. Fairly easy as this plant will no longer be legal to sell in Michigan come January, 2028.

✅ If you have these shrubs around your home, remove and replant native shrubs.

These steps will help reduce the chances that more trails get surrounded by this thorny mess. As always, we’ll add some info in the comments to give you more resources, and PLEASE remember to check for ticks after an excursion into the outdoors especially in early spring and summer. Multiply that by 12 if you’ve stumbled into some barberry. 🤦‍♀️

Did you know our new tractor runs on pure ambition and shoots native wildflower seed out the tailpipe?

Okay, maybe not literally… but it IS ready to help bring your ecological and property dreams to life!

Stay tuned—we have some exciting new services dropping soon to help transform your land.

ANDY’S PICK OF THE WEEK

This week, Andy is moving from the canopy back down to the vibrant prairie floor to talk about a true summer showstopper for your yard: Orange Milkw**d (Asclepias tuberosa)!This native also goes by butterfly w**d and it’s a perennial that brings color and vital life to your garden. If you want a plant that shines in the heat of summer and acts as a magnet for pollinators, this is the plant for you!

A True Wisconsinite
Orange Milkw**d is a Wisconsin native that thrives in our sandy, rocky, or clay-loam soils and survives our freezing winters. Unlike its common milkw**d cousins, this species stays in neat clumps rather than taking over your garden. It loves baking in the full Wisconsin sun and is drought-tolerant once established thanks to its deep taproot.
Orange milkw**d is an essential host plant for Monarch butterflies. It provides food for their caterpillars, while its brilliant orange nectar-rich flowers feed dozens of pollinators.

It's only too late to plant when the ground freezes or we run out of plants! If you're still considering a native planting this season, let's make a plan!

The following are the great Safe for Monarchs nurseries that are selling now (until they run out of plants!). Please contact nurseries for current hours and availability.

Tend Native Plants
Heritage Flower Farm
Two Ferns Native Nursery
Riley Native Plant Nursery
Sprig Native Plant Nursery
Dragonfly Gardens
Johnson's Nursery
Root Down Wisconsin
Prairie Future Seed Company via plant sales at the Urban Ecology Center and McKinley Elementary School (see https://prairiefutureseed.com/ for details)

If you're wondering what the 'beautiful' purple flowers are in the ditch this time of year, it is actually the invasive Purple Loosestrife. Unlike our native loosestrifes, this species is highly damaging to wetland ecosystems and degrades habitat for wildlife.

We need your help in finding purple loosestrife! The middle of August is peak-flowering time for this plant which makes it easy to identify. Purple flowers attached to the stem in a tall spike = purple loosestrife. Help us find this plant by sending the GPS point of purple loosestrife plants in your area! https://fwwa.org/2019/08/28/ais-spotlight-purple-loosestrife/

Non-Native Plant of the Week: Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Native to Eurasia, this hardy biennial loves dry, disturbed soil and can shoot up flowering stalks over 6 feet tall. Though often considered naturalized, this species can become problematic in new native plantings or after a disturbance. When w**ding your plantings, look for its soft, fuzzy leaves on first year plants and tall yellow blooms during the second year.

Think you missed the window for planting native species? Think again! 🌾🌸

It’s not too late to start your prairie restoration project or plant native grasses and perennials. Late summer and fall are actually ideal times for planting:

🌱 Cooler Temps, Less Stress: Lower heat levels give roots a better environment to establish without suffering from summer scorching.
🌱 Better Moisture Retention: Fall rains help keep the soil damp while root systems grow underground before winter dormancy.
🌱 Spring Head-Start: Fall-planted natives hit the ground running with strong root systems as soon as the ground warms up next spring.

Whether you're looking to convert a section of turf, enhance a native shoreline, or begin a full-scale ecological restoration, the team at Prairie Revival Ecological is ready to help.

📲 Contact Prairie Revival Ecological today to discuss your late-season planting plan!

Have you ever noticed those big, flat clusters of delicate white flowers lining our roadsides and fields?

That’s probably Queen Anne’s lace, a plant brought to North America by European settlers who used its taproot and seeds for food and medicine. Folklore says it is named after Queen Anne of England, who pricked her finger with a needle while making lace, leaving a tiny dark purple dot in the middle of the flower representing a drop of her blood.

While this wild ancestor of our modern carrot looks pretty, it is a tough, aggressive species. A single plant can produce thousands of seeds that crowd out and steal resources from our fragile native plants.

To remove it, wear gloves to avoid skin irritating sap and pull the plants straight up by the root right after a good rain when the soil is soft. Alternatively, you can mow the flower heads off right before they go to seed to stop the life cycle.

Just make sure to double check its identity first, as it looks dangerously similar to poison hemlock, which has a smooth, purple stem instead of a hairy one!