This page last modified on May 04, 2016 Purple loosestrife is a wetland plant native to Europe and Asia that was brought to North America the early 19 th century. Vicki Renzulli. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an exotic perennial herb that grows in sunny wetlands, ditches, around farm ponds and in other disturbed habitats.Purple loosestrife was accidentally introduced in North America by European immigrants in … Unauthorized introduction of plants or fish into the wild is illegal. The report will display the kingdom and all descendants leading down to the name you choose. Originally many garden varieties of … 3. Although many alien invasive plants have naturalized by escaping gardens, purple loosestrife basically began naturalizing on its own in rural areas. Clipped plants grow back and cut stems readily re-root in the soil to produce new plants. Purlple Loosestrife. Protect your property and our waters. Purple loosestrife is a perennial, with a dense, woody rootstock that can produce dozens of stems. Means of spread and distribution. Hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, fish and amphibians rely on healthy wetland habitat for their survival. It is difficult to remove all of the roots in a single digging, so monitor the area for several growing seasons to ensure that purple loosestrife has not regrown from roots or seed. Purple Loosestrife: What You Should Know, What You Can Do, Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife, 4-H Leader's Manual, Publication: Purple Loosestrife WATCH Card, Publication: Aquatic Invasive Species WATCH Cards (Full Deck), Mature plants have many stems that grow from a root crown (2). Purple loosestrife as a medicinal herb It is hardly used in medicine, despite its diverse healing effects. Purple loosestrife reproduces both by seed and vegetative propagation which allows it to quickly invade new landscapes. Crowds out native species (Munger 2002) The pollen and nectar that purple loosestrife possess makes delicious honey. Purple loosestrife is sometimes applied directly to the affected area for varicose veins, bleeding gums, hemorrhoids, and eczema, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.     Montana's Purple Loosestrife Task Force is led by Dave Burch who can be contacted at: (406) 444-3140 or dburch@mt.gov Purple Loosestrife was introduced from Eurasia for its ornamental and medicinal qualities, but escaped cultivation and has become a noxious weed in many portions of North America (DiTomaso and Healy 2003). Lythrum salicaria, commonly called purple loosestrife, is a clump-forming wetland perennial that is native to Europe and Asia. Overtakes habitat and outcompetes native aquatic plants, potentially lowering diversity. 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. It has a branched stem bearing whorls of narrow, pointed, stalkless leaves and ending in tall,…, …case study is the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), a plant that has overrun thousands of square kilometres of North American wetlands, replacing the naturally diverse vegetation of grasses, sedges, and other wetland plants. It is native to Europe and Asia, and is responsible for a considerable amount of the degradation to wetlands throughout the United States. Purple loosestrife is native to Europe and Asia. It is illegal to possess, plant, transport, or sell purple loosestrife … Spectacular when in full bloom, Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a vigorous, upright perennial enjoying an extremely long bloom season from late spring to late summer. A bumblebee visits an invasive purple loosestrife plant growing along the shoreline of Havre de Grace, Md., on July 25, 2016. A mature plant can develop into a large clump of stems up to five feet in diameter. It was first introduced into North America in the early 1800s for ornamental and medicinal purposes. A single plant c… Alternative plantings for purple loosestrife. Swamp-loosestrife is an attractive native wetland plant, not to be confused with the highly invasive purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). Small infestations can be controlled by removing all roots and underground stems. 4. Purple loosestrife has flowers with 5 to 7 purple petals… Report New Sightings (less than 100 plants) — note exact location; wrap a plant fragment of stem, leaves and flower spike in a wet paper towel, place in a sealed plastic bag; and call a Minnesota DNR Invasive Species Specialist (see www.mndnr.gov/invasives/contacts.html), 1-888-MINNDNR or (651) 259-5100; or the Minnesota Sea Grant Program in Duluth, (218) 726-8712. illustrate identifying characteristics of purple loosestrife, biocontrol agent life stages, and biocontrol agent damage to purple loosestrife plants. Loosestrife plants are typically found in poorly drained soils of road right-of-ways and trails, drainage ditches, culverts, lake shores, stream banks, and a variety of wetland habitats. European garden books mention the purple loosestrife all the way back to the Middle Ages. No. Rem… Purple loosestrife can be differentiated from these species by a com-bination of other characteristics. https://www.britannica.com/plant/purple-loosestrife, Myrtales: Family distributions and abundance. The leaves are lanceolate, 3–10 cm long and 5–15 mm broad, downy and sessile, and arranged opposite or in whorls of three. Is my garden variety (cultivar) of Purple Loosestrife safe? Unauthorized introduction of plants or fish into the wild is illegal. The flowers are insect-pollinated, principally by nectar feeders like bees and butterflies. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an invasive perennial plant that is spreading rapidly in North American wetlands, shorelines, and roadside ditches. It is native to Europe and was introduced into North America in the early 1800s. Invasive species cause recreational, economic and ecological damage—changing how residents and visitors use and enjoy Minnesota waters.Purple loosestrife impacts: 1. Other articles where Purple loosestrife is discussed: loosestrife: Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), native to Eurasia and now common in eastern North America, grows 0.6 to 1.8 metres (2 to 6 feet) high on riverbanks and in ditches. Wetlands are the most biologically diverse, productive component of our ecosystem. Contact your local natural resource management agency for instructions.     After multiple introductions in the 1800s for bee keeping, as an ornamental plant, and in discarded soil used as ballast on ships, this European species has invaded nearly every U.S. state and at least six Canadian provinces. Purple loosestrife is one of the most useful alterative and astringent herbs. Its healing influence extends to the mucous, secretory, vascular, and nervous systems. Purple loosestrife is a prohibited invasive species. Leaves slightly hairy are lance shaped and can be opposite or in whorls of 3. Purple loosetrife is on the Control noxious weed list meaning you must prevent the spread of this plant. The root system consists of a very thick and hard taproot, and spreading lateral roots. Contact your local natural resource management agency for instructions. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is originally from the Old World, but its range has extended from Europe and Asia into North America and southeastern Australia.