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Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife

    Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a member of the Loosestrife family with dense patches of leafy, angular stems topped with crowded spikes of brilliant pinkish-lavender flowers. It flowers in the months August and September. Purple Loosestrife illustrates the danger of introducing new plants to an area. This lovely plant was introduced from Europe as an ornamental in the 1880’s, but since then has made itself so much at home that it crowds out native species and reduces habit for native wildlife. Continuously spreading, it sometimes form a spectacular display around freshwater lakes, marshes and along streams, signaling the destruction of a native ecosystem.

     There is no effective method to control Purple Loosestrife, except when it occurs in small areas. In these areas, uprooting by hand before it has gone to seed and removing all vegetative parts can control the spread of it.

Infestation Photo

Close up Photo