![]() Purple loosestrife is a long-lived and versatile plant that adds visual interest to the garden, but also looks good in the vase. Lythrum goes well with other perennials and cushions with reddish and purple flowers such as verbena or honor grass, but also with many green or white flowering plants such as ferns, hostas or great starthistle. The purple flowers are an ornament for a cottage garden, a perennial garden, for park-like areas with watercourses, but also for modern gardens with paved or gravel paths and box hedges. Therefore, even the less experienced gardener can buy purple loosestrife and will not be disappointed.īloody loosestrife perennials fit into very different gardens. Otherwise, loosestrife is a fairly undemanding plant that does not require much care. It can therefore also be planted in the garden pond, but loosestrife can also thrive in the garden if it is sufficiently watered. In nature, the distinctive plant, which grows to a height of 1.20 metres, prefers swampy and damp habitats. ![]() Lythrum is a genus of loosestrife plants with square stems, narrow lanceolate leaves and abundant flowers in a wide variety of shapes that are widespread all over the world. The striking flower ornaments are not only a wonderful accent in nature, but also in gardens or on the terrace. The attractive purple loosestrife is a native wild plant and an important nectar plant for bees, bumblebees and many other insects and butterflies. Encourage your community to scout for and remove any purple loosestrife in your area.įor more information on purple loosestrife: Access the Wisconsin DNR website or contact your county UW-Extension agent.The attractive purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria All control methods will likely need to be repeated for several years. Biological control using insects that solely feed on purple loosestrife are also proving effective (see box below for more information). Herbicides containing the active ingredient triclopyr, formulated for water dilution are also effective. Spray the foliage with a solution containing 1% active ingredient, or apply to cut stems in a solution containing 3-10% active ingredient. Glyphosate-containing herbicides are recommended for chemical control. Be sure no portions of roots or stems remain. Small infestations can be removed with a shovel. ![]() How can I control purple loosestrife? Prevent the spread of purple loosestrife by inspecting equipment, boats, shoes, and other items that have been in contact with purple loosestrife-infested areas. Purple loosestrife may bloom from July all the way into early September. Flowers are magenta pink and have five to seven narrow petals. Each plant can produce from one to 50 flowering stems. Purple loosestrife has narrow leaves that are arranged opposite each other on the stem. It can live for many years, usually becoming tough and fibrous at the base. What does purple loosestrife look like? Purple loosestrife usually grows to a height of 3 to 7 ft., but it can grow as tall as 12 ft. These factors allow purple loosestrife to spread rapidly through wetlands and other areas where it chokes out other desirable native vegetation and eliminates open water habitat that is important to wildlife. In addition, the insects and diseases that keep the plant’s population in check in its homeland are not present in North America. The plant also has a thick taproot with fibrous rhizomes that form a dense mat, making it difficult to remove. Seeds are easily spread by wind and water, remaining viable in the soil for many years. Purple loosestrife can produce more than two million tiny seeds per plant. Purple loosestrife has a wide tolerance of environmental conditions and spreads by seed as well as by aggressive rhizomes. Although this plant or its cultivars are sometimes still sold in garden centers, it is illegal to sell, distribute or cultivate this plant or its seeds in Wisconsin. It was introduced from Europe in the 1800s as a perennial garden plant. What is purple loosestrife? Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a fast-spreading, tall Eurasian plant that grows primarily in wetlands and ditches, but can invade home gardens.
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