Purple loosestrife is a beautiful but aggressive hardy perennial, which can damage wetlands and the animals that live there, if allowed to spread unchecked. WHY IT’S BAD: Purple Loosestrife was originally introduced to North America from Europe and Asia in the early 1800s and was commonly used as a medicinal herb to treat digestive issues and bacterial infections. Purple loosestrife is found along waterways, marshes and wetlands. Purple loosestrife is generally not self-compatible. 6 /16. This latter species is a smaller and less aggressive plant with winged stems, while the stems of Purple Loosestrife are usually round (sometimes 4-angled). Flowers usually have 6 petals, are about 1” wide, and are pollinated by insects. What’s so bad about purple loosestrife? Background. Overview Information Purple loosestrife is a plant. If the loosestrife starts to spread, the number of beetles rebounds. The Problem with Purple Loosestrife The purple loosestrife is a flowering plant found in wetlands. It shouldn’t be confused with other plants whose common names are also loosestrife such as Fringed Loosestrife and Gooseneck Loosestrife, both members of the primrose family. This highly invasive plant was likely introduced when its seeds were included in soil used as ballast in European sailing ships and discarded in North America. The plant, which can grow as tall as two meters, is made up of a few square shaped, woody stems and hundreds of flower spikes. Once it's present, it has a tendency to dominate, outcompeting native vegetation. But now, scientists consider Purple Loostrife an invasive species success story. Unfortunately, this plant is not liked by birds, mammals, or waterfowl. Followi ng fertilization, seeds are produced. The flowering parts are used as medicine. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a flowering plant that is native to Europe and Asia. You can’t buy these beetles. Purple Loosestrife. The nicknames for purple loosestrife - beautiful killer, marsh monster and exotic invader - are telling. Purple Loosestrife is a widespread invasive plant.It’s taken over wetlands in every state in the US except Florida. Each flower spike has many individual flowers that are pink-purple with small, yellow centers. It prefers sun, but, like most invasive weeds, it adapts well in many soil types. Comments: The only other species that is similar to Purple Loosestrife is the native Lythrum alatum (Winged Loosestrife), which also occurs in wetlands. Why is the purple loosestrife so bad, and if so, why are we settling with a method of control that does not truly remove the plant from our landscapes? Purple loosestrife is a wetland plant native to Europe and Asia that was brought to North America the early 19 th century. Purple Loosestrife are the tall bright purple flowering plants you see mixed in with cattails lining the edge of many lakes and wetlands. Purple loosestrife, like most problem plants, is from another continent — in this case, Europe and Asia. I’m not sure why. It grows into dense plantings, reduces then eliminating wildlife. Purple loosestrife produces clusters of bright pinkish-purple flowers on wands at the top of the plant. The bad news? The healing plant was intentionally planted as a “pioneer species” throughout New England but quickly spread through man-made canals, becoming one […] An invasive, weedy species, loosestrife readily establishes in a variety of urban and rural wetland habitats. 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