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Profile Image Eileen McHenry

emch

Gardening in mostly deep shade in Zone 6. My passion is adding more native plants to my landscape & clearing out the foreign invasives.

Lysimachia salicaria syn. Lythrum salicaria

  • Season Icon Late SummerLate Summer 2022
  • Like Count 17
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emch

Help me identify this plant. It's coming up in the swamp, in ankle-deep mud, and it's well over 5 feet tall (150+ cm). I thought at first glance that it had to be Great Blue Lobelia but the flowers are very pink and the plants are 3x as tall. Anyone have any idea what this flower is? PlantID

2w
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KariSamuel

Is it possibly a very happy purple loosestrife?

2w
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emch

@KariSamuel that's what Plant Net suggests but it's too tall, too pink and it only seems to bloom at the tip, not in a long spike, so 🤷‍♀️

2w
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eternalbloom323

It looks like purple loosestriff to me as well. I looked into it and I found this picture that looks alot like yours. Page 10 https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/master-gardener/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/09/Purdue-Master-Gardener-Guide-to-Common-Lawn-and-Garden-Weeds.pdf

2w
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emch

@eternalbloom323 all it says is "cannot download."

2w
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eternalbloom323

Shoot. Sorry. 😞 The picture looks almost identical to yours. This is what it says.

2w
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eternalbloom323

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)Perennial broadleaf Invades moist to wet areas such as low spots, ditches, and wetlands.It is considered invasive in many states.Branching perennial to 5 ft. Leaves are opposite or whorled low on the stems, may be alternate near tips of stems. Leaves are elongated, the largest about 4” and clasp the stem. Showy purple flowerswith 6 petals are held on a tall spike above the foliage, blooming mid-summer to fall.

2w
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emch

I am so confused @eternalbloom323 @KariSamuel -- this looks exactly like what I have BUT the purple loosestrife that grows everywhere here is totally different, half the height with rich purple flowers in long spikes. Well, maybe it's a different flavor. TY for your help!

2w
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eternalbloom323

Np. Hope it helped! I think it's a different variety as well. Because there is loosestrife that looks like your explaining with tall spikes of purple flowers.

2w
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KariSamuel

I have seen some very tall (happy) purple loosestrife in the wetlands of Wisconsin. I didn't zoom in to compare flowers. My other thought was vervain...

2w