8/5/2023 0 Comments Purple loose strife![]() Related species are allowed to be sold in Ohio, but some states ban the entire genus. This species and its cultivated varieties are noxious weeds in Ohio. Purple loosestrife also spreads vegetatively. A single stalk of purple loosestrife can produce 300,000 seeds. (It is an introduced species.) This plant invades wetland habitats, crowding out native plants that are important food sources for wildlife. Purple loosestrife is a strikingly beautiful plant that has escaped from cultivation. Similar plants: Flowers of native loosestrife are more widely spaced along the stem than those of purple loosestrife. Long spikes of rose or purple flowers, each with 4-7 wrinkled petals. Lower leaves have downy hairs and clasp the stem.įlower: July to early September. Leaves: Opposite or whorled, 1.5-4 inches long with smooth margins, lacking petioles. Growth Habit: Usually 2- 4 feet tall, but may reach up to 10 feet in nutrient-rich habitats. Two species of Galerucella beetles can provide effective biocontrol for purple loosestrife, but will die off when the population of purple loosestrife goes down, allowing it to grow back again.Habitat: Wet meadows, flood plains, wetlands, ditches. Mechanical removal is not recommended, but if done on a small patch and done very carefully (making sure that all parts of the plant are removed) it can work. The best thing to do is monitor natural areas and work to remove purple loosestrife as soon as it is spotted. Once it is established, purple loosestrife is very hard to control and likely won’t completely disappear in a large patch. Purple loosestrife is in bloom July through October and the flowers are a vivid purple that are very easy to spot from a distance. Purple loosestrife has a square, woody stem and opposite leaves. Native plants are vital to wetland wildlife for food and shelter. It has become a serious pest to native wetland communities where it out-competes native plants. It has a woody root that can have from 30-50 stems coming from it. Purple loosestrife, known for its beautiful purple flowers and landscape value, was brought to the United States from Europe in the 1800's. The leaves of purple loosestrife start out with lance-shaped leaves, but can become very variable in shape as the plant grows. Furthermore, the stems of purple loosestrife are very unwelcoming to waterfowl and as a result waterfowl do not frequent areas with purple loosestrife. ![]() This can dry up a shallow water habitat and make it into a terrestrial area, destroying the habitat for native aquatic animals that have been living there. When purple loosestrife enters an area its stiff stems can collect debris such as silt (sedimentation). This makes it very easy for it to out-compete native species. Not only do purple loosestrife seeds germinate very rapidly, purple loosestrife grows faster than almost any wetland plant. Like most invasive plants on the Top 12 list for the Grand Traverse region, purple loosestrife forms monocultures that replace native plants in high quality natural areas, which in turn reduces critical food resources for birds, butterflies, and other wild creatures. What problems does purple loosestrife cause? This plant is illegal to sell, trade, plant, or share in Michigan, per Michigan's Natural Resources Environmental Protection Act (Part 413 of Act 451).Introduced from Eurasia via ship ballast and intentionally as an ornamental garden plant in the 1800s.
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