Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

Plants Kingdom Plantae

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Purple Loosestrife is a well-known invasive species of marshes, lake edges and other wet sites. It is very aggressive in moist, sunny sites and displaces native species. It appears not to be used much by native wildlife.

Cutting off purple loosestrife or breaking off the tops does little good as new stems quickly develop. Small plants can sometimes be removed by pulling, but on large plants some of the below-ground portions often break off and the plant can resprout. A web search will return many web sites dealing with purple loosestrife. Try this link to The Wisconsin DNR web site for more extensive descriptions and control methods.

The photo below shows a low, sandy field invaded by purple loosestrife during a wet summer. A purple loosestrife Task Force has been established in Brown County to coordinate efforts to control this species. Experiments are also underway to try to control purple loosestrife with several species of beetles known to feed on this species.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects