Summer in Detroit just got a whole lot brighter.
With more than 100 overflowing flower pots, over 20,000 plants, and the help of a surprisingly small crew, the Detroit Riverwalk is officially in bloom, and it’s more than just a pretty sight. It’s part of a strategic effort to enhance what has already been voted the No. 1 riverwalk in the country for three years running. 
“This pop of color, it brings the riverfront alive,” says Rachel Frierson, vice president of operations and programming for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. “It’s a subtle reminder that there’s life all around us – nature, vegetation—and that adds something special to the experience.”
The numbers alone are impressive. A four-man planting crew from BrightView installs all 20,000+ flowers in just about a week. Then a dedicated two-man team waters, weeds, and deadheads every single day, checking pots twice—first thing in the morning and again when the summer heat peaks. “There’s a rhythm to it,” says Danny Willcox, BrightView’s branch manager. “We’ve been doing this a long time and have it down pretty well.”
This year’s color palette? All of them.
“We do every color. People have individual preferences, so we focus on brightness,” says Willcox. “I like to bring in tropicals—palms, birds of paradise, dramatic color. In the landscape industry, we say: thriller, filler, spiller. That’s how we build out each pot.”
While many of the annuals are locally grown through Banotai Greenhouse, Willcox brings a bit of his Florida roots into the mix with tropical plants. “For me, it’s like painting,” he says. “The plants are colors on a palette. I used to have a lot of these same plants in my own yard back in Florida, so it feels like bringing a piece of home here.”
The flowers are part of the Riverfront Conservancy’s commitment to keeping the Riverwalk clean, safe and beautiful, and they are also about stewardship and sustainability. In addition to the summer annuals, there are native perennials throughout Milliken State Park and the Dequindre Cut. Frierson says these play a vital role in restoring natural habitats and also educating the community.
“It’s a learning moment. We want to show our community what grows naturally in Michigan, and why that matters.”
Sustainability is playing a bigger role along the Southwest Greenway near Michigan Central Station too, where the Conservancy has partnered with Ford on more native plantings near the mobility hub.
Frierson and her team maintain nearly seven miles of public space, including the Riverwalk, Dequindre Cut, Southwest Greenway, and the Dennis Archer Greenway. “We’ve got a 20-year-old landscape that’s now quite mature,” se says. “It requires thoughtful trimming, care, and cleanup—especially in the spring.”
And while the technical logistics are impressive—staging all flowers at Cullen Plaza and transporting them via all-terrain vehicles across a massive footprint — the two say the payoff is worth it.
FLOWER MAINTENANCE
“3.5 million people visit the Riverwalk each year,” says Frierson. “And they reach out to tell us how much the flowers mean to them. They make the space feel alive and intentional, and I think that’s part of why people keep coming back.”
“Walking the Riverwalk after everything’s planted—it’s a feeling I can’t quite describe,” he says. “You know people are enjoying it. That it’s brightened their day. And to me, that’s everything.”
When asked if Detroit were a flower what type would it be, Frierson’s answer is insightful.
“I wouldn’t choose a flower, I would choose the black willow tree,” she says. “It sways, it’s hearty, it’s constantly adapting and I think that’s representative of Detroit.”
As always, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates on all things Detroit.
