General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: In Water
Wet
Wet Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Plant Height: 32 - 40 inches
Plant Spread: 20 - 24 inches
Leaves: Unusual foliage color
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Uses: Medicinal Herb
Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Propagation: Seeds: Depth to plant seed: cover the seeds very thin
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Pollinators: Flies
Bees

Image
Common names
  • Purple Loosestrife

Photo Gallery
Location: Mississippi R near Keokuk, Iowa
Date: 2012-07-02

Date: 2018-06-30
Location: Hiking Trail In Fairfax :(
Very invasive
Location: Nature Reserve Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-07-31
irresistible for bees! :-)
Location: Garfield, WA
Date: 2007-01-21
Location: my container garden 
Date: 2016-06-24
Location: Illinois side of Mississippi R. near Hamilton-Warsaw, Il.
Date: 2014-07-29
Along the Great Mississippi River Road
Location: In my garden. Poland.
Location: Nature Reserve Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-07-31
Location: Nature Reserve Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-07-31
Great bee plant!
Location: Garfield, WA
Date: 2007-01-06

Date: August 3
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-08-25
Location: Mississippi R near Keokuk, Iowa
Date: 2012-07-02
Location: my container garden
Date: 2016-06-24
Location: Fairfax, VA | July, 2022
Date: 2022-07-23
Location: In one of my brother's natural gardens,  Belgium
Date: 2007-07-18
Location: Nature Reserve Gent, Belgium
Date: 2008-07-15
On an island in the lake
Location: Canada
Image by Spencer C. H. Barrett, University of Toronto
Photo by woodenman12
Location: Garfield, WA
Date: 2010-01-05
Location: Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Date: July
credit: Magnus Manske
Location: Perelman Park, Manheim Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-07-26
PLEASE don't plant this. It's become invasive & clogs the streams
Location: Perelman Park, Manheim Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-07-26
PLEASE don't plant this. It's become invasive & clogs the streams
Location: Quad Cities Botanical Garden, Rock Island, Il.
Date: 2012-07-02
Location: Canada
Location: North-eastern Lower Saxony, Germany.
Date: August
credit: Christian Fischer
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-07-11
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Sep 17, 2014 10:34 AM concerning plant:
    Class B noxious weed in Washington, and targeted as one of the top priorities to control. Found in wetlands, where it out-competes native plants, provides a poor habitat for waterfowl, clogs the waterways, and reduces forage. Do not plant in Washington, and if found, remove any plants to reduce the seed source.
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Jan 15, 2012 2:21 PM concerning plant:
    Although of pleasant aspect growing up to 5' tall w/ reddish-purple clustered flowers and a four-sided stem; caution should be used. This loosestrife often occurs in dense stands that shade out native flora and is considered quite invasive (garden or in the wild). Likes to grow along moist edges of marshes, ponds, and roadsides.
    Plant was introduced from Europe to the east coast of America in the early 1800's by immigrants as an ornamental and herb. Plant spread into the Midwest in the 1880's, reaching Illinois in the 1950's.
    Plant is very difficult to eradicate. Each plant produces 1000s of seeds yearly that can lay dormant in soil for years; also replicates from roots and broken stems.
  • Posted by virginiarose (Virginia - Zone 8a) on Nov 10, 2013 8:58 AM concerning plant:
    Virginia State listed Noxious Weed.
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Apr 23, 2012 4:50 PM concerning plant:
    Honey bees get nectar and pollen from this plant.

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