Key Facts
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Purple-loosestrife can be found in wet habitats, such as reedbeds, fens, marshes and riverbanks, where its impressive spikes of magenta flowers rise up among the grasses.
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It flowers between June and August, when its nectar becomes a valuable food source for long-tongued insects, such as Brimstone butterflies, Red-tailed Bumblebees and Elephant Hawk-moths.
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Dense stands of purple loosestrife can threaten plant and animal diversity.
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These weeds are tough! They can tolerate a wide range of weather conditions and will grow in standing water.
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The seeds distribute through water, humans and animals, with a single plant producing over 2.5 million seeds that drop in early fall when temperatures cool.
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They are vibrant in colour and can be spotted easily.
Did You Know
In the past, the government used purple loosestrife to control roadside erosion.