A very aggressive invader of sunny wetlands, purple loosestrife displaces native species and reduces plant and animal diversity. Facts. Purple loosestrife is one of Britain's most beautiful flowers. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. The plant will grow in rich, marshy areas. Simple, smooth-edged leaves grow opposite or whorled on stiff, 4-6-sided stems. As you can see from my picture, purple loosestrife flowers are real lookers: growing en masse, these marsh plants form a veritable sea of color. Each plant has … Habitat. Linda in Alabama. Neutral: On May 2, 2002, Lilith from Durham, United Kingdom (Zone 8a) wrote: An elegant plant with tall spikes of purple flowers. Purple loosestrife has woody, strong taproot with several fibrous, lateral roots which provide stability of the plant and ensure constant supply with nutrients from the soil. John Everett Millais painted its magenta sprays on the riverbank in his picture of the drowning Ophelia. Description. Purple Loosestrife is considered invasive in my area and not recommended for planting.It will take over if planted in a wet area. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a striking native plant with tall spikes of purple flowers from June-September. This striking perennial can reach heights of nearly two metres! The stems are reddish-purple or red to purple and square in cross-section. So it is not surprising that the general public's response upon seeing purple loosestrife flowers tends to be positive, which infuriates conservationists to no end. Purple loosestrife, a regulated Class B noxious weed, is a 6-10-foot-tall perennial that grows on lakes and waterways throughout King County. They are pollinated by long-tongues insects including bees and butterflies. Other names of Purple loosestrife include Spiked loosestrife and purple lythrum, They can gorw up to 1-2 meters tall forming Clonal colonies, can be found in ditches, wet meadows, marshes and along side lakes and ponds. Soak the soil down several inches. Purple Loosestrife ( Lythrum Salicaria) Purple Loosestrife is a very colourful flower which will send up spires of reddish-purple flowers from June though to August. It needs generous watering when first planted and during the droughty days of summer. Posted on December 2, 2020 December 2, 2020 Lythrum salicaria is a herbaceous perennial plant, that can grow 1–2 m tall, forming clonal colonies 1.5 m or more in width with numerous erect stems growing from a single woody root mass. Watering Loosestrife Purple loosestrife likes moist soil and is even at home in soggy, poorly drained areas. By streams,rivers and lakes. Don't let the attractive persistent flowers fool you--this one is not an asset to New England. purple loosestrife RHS Plant Shop from £6.99 Sold by 33 nurseries. facts about purple loosestrife. It can grow up to 120 cm tall. Return to Content. 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