Michigan’s Rarest Plant Resembles the Face of a Monkey

Michigan’s rarest plant is not edible, doesn’t eat bugs, or get you high. It’s a semi-aquatic perennial called Erythranthe michiganensis. Or by its most common name, the Monkeyflower.

Why are they called ‘monkeyflowers’? Because their flowers appear to resemble faces of monkeys. I can barely see the resemblance, but I guess it was enough for someone to give them that name.

These rare Michigan plants can only be found in 23 locations in our state: from the Grand Traverse area, up the Lake Michigan coast to the Mackinac Straits and in the U.P. in St. Ignace and a number of miles west along US-2.

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The stems can reach approximately 16 inches in length with toothed leaves opposite each other along the stems. The yellow petals bloom from mid-June to mid-July so searching before or after that timeframe may be useless.

The existence of these plants are threatened by invasive plants and land development. Another roadblock: most sites that contain monkeyflowers are on private property. According to the Center for Plant Conservation, “Most sites are on private property which adds a challenge to protection.....One population has dared to persist, despite repeated mowing, in a localized colony where spring water comes to the surface in a homeowner's lawn.”

Okay, one last thing: once we visit the locations, just how can we find the Michigan Monkeyflower?

You can usually find them in sunny areas, rooted in sandy mud, and growing out of a cool running stream. So far, the michiganensis (Monkeyflower) can only be found in Michigan and is the rarest plant in the state.

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