Purple Loosestrife
Lythrum virgatum and hybrids. LYTHRACEAE.
Planting and Growing Purple Loosestrife
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow purple loosestrife in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of purple loosestrife
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for purple loosestrife
- Season of bloom and planting time for purple loosestrife
- When, how deep, and where to plant purple loosestrife
- How to plant purple loosestrife
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of purple loosestrife
- Landscape and container uses of purple loosestrife
- Comments about purple loosestrife and its features
Growing Purple Loosestrife
Several cultivars of erect, tall, deciduous perennial herbs, to 3 ft. (90 cm) tall. Alternate or opposite, fuzzy, light green, narrow, lance-shaped, pointed leaves, to 4 in. (10 cm) long, forming a circular, radiating base.
Common hybrids include Lythrum virgatum ‘Dropmore Purple’, ‘Morden Pink’, and ‘Morden Rose’.
Purple loosestrife is distantly related to Moneywort, Lysimachia_nummularia, and is in the same plant family.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Showy, pink, purple, red, star-shaped, 6‑petaled flowers, 1/2–3/4‑in. (12–19‑mm) wide, in tall, cone-shaped, spiking clusters, to 5 ft. (1.5 m) tall, in summer–autumn.
Best Climates
Hardy. Zones 3–9. Best in cool, moist climates.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained humus. Fertility: Rich. 5.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Summer in full sun, 2 ft. (60 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize monthly. Mulch. Stake. Propagate by division.
About This Plant
Good choice for accents, backgrounds, fencelines, walls in cottage, formal, meadow, natural gardens. Pest and disease resistant.
Warning:
Due to its very invasive habit, purple loosestrife is a prohibited plant in some governmental jurisdictions.