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Lythrum salicaria
Also called Spiked Loosestrife, Purple Lythrum, Hairy Purple Loosestrife, Rainbow Weed
Purple-loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a tall, clump-forming herbaceous perennial with spikes of reddish-purple flowers, grown in gardens and naturalised widely in North America. It thrives in damp soil and is invasive in wetlands, so consider sterile cultivars and check local regulations.
Lythrum salicaria or purple loosestrife is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the genus Lysimachia in the family Primulaceae. This herbaceous perennial plant is native to temperate regions of Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and eastern Australia.
It has been used as an astringent medicinal herb to treat diarrhea and dysentery; it is considered safe to use for all ages, including babies. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens, and is particularly associated with damp, poorly drained locations such as marshes, bogs and watersides. However, it will tolerate drier conditions. The flowers are showy and bright, and a number of cultivars have been selected for variation in flower colour, including:
'Atropurpureum' with dark purple flowers
Lythrum salicaria is native to Europe, temperate Asia, northern Africa, and Australia. It is also naturalised in many temperate parts of the world, including parts of southern Africa, North America, and South America. The species was thought to be a recent introduction to Australia, but pre-colonial pollen samples have been found in New South Wales, indicating natural colonisation before modern human plant introductions; the question is considered unresolved by Australian authorities.
Grass-poly · Threebract loosestrife · European wand loosestrife · Loosestrife
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lythrum salicaria by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
