Scientific Name:  Lythrum salicaria L.

Common Name:  Purple Loosestrife

Family:  Lythraceae (Loosestrife)

Type of Plant: Herbaceous Perennial    

Usage: Ornamental

Identifying Characteristics:

Stems & roots:  Stout plant, erect (24-48in); 4 angled stem can be smooth to fuzzy; long, well-established tap root  

Leaves:  Smooth, opposite (2 per node) or whorled (3 per node); narrow to narrowly oblong and heart shaped at base; 1.25-4 in long, attach directly to stems; upper leaves & those in the inflorescence alternate (1/node) & smaller than lower leaves

Flowers:  Magenta - pink, tightly clustered, dense, terminal spikes from 4-20in; sepals united into a column with 8-12 prominent green veins & ending in several, long, thin, pointed lobes; 5-7 petals approx. 1/4in long; several stamens & 1 pistil; small seedpod.  Bloom late June - mid Sept.  Many garden species previously thought to be sterile can produce seeds by cross pollination with wild & other species, increasing the opportunities for spreading

Habitat:  In the wild - wetlands, sedge meadows, open bogs.  Can also occur along streams, riverbanks, lake shores.  Opportunistic in areas with recent soil disturbance.  Grows best in highly organic soils in full sun

Invasive Potential:  Introduced from Europe.  2.7 million seeds per plant annually, highly invasive in wetland areas through wind, birds, animals & humans. Readily establishes itself, crowding out native species.  Decrease in biodiversity has far reaching ecological implications including displacing plants & animals, eliminating food & shelter for wildlife, degrading native wetlands, reducing habitat for waterfowl. Native to Eurasia 

Control:  No effective method except in small, localized growth area where it can be intensively managed.  Isolated areas, uproot plant by hand ensuring the removal of all parts of plant including all roots  

Other methods of control:  cutting, burning where permitted, herbicide application although herbicides can destroy other nearby plants  

Biological control using root weevil (Hylobius transversovittatus), 2 species leaf eating beetles (Galerucella pusilla & Galerucella calmariensis) have been approved by Canadian government.  Research indicate there is little chance of permanent host transfer as these insects only feast on purple loosestrife

Recommendations:  Recommended to dig all cultivars of Purple Loosestrife from the landscape and, according to the Manitoba Purple Loosestrife Project, can best be replaced with Spiked Gayfeather (Liatrus); a native plant with pink, purple or white flowers that is an environmentally safe perennial. It requires full sun to part shade, height up to 1.5-2.5m, hardy to CDA zone 3; blooms midsummer to Sept

Scientific Name:  Lonicera tatarica

Common Name:  Tartarian Honeysuckle

Family: Caprifolaceae (Honeysuckle) 

 

Type of Plant: Flowering Deciduous Shrub

 

Usage:  Ornamental

Identifying Characteristics:

Stems & roots:  Woody, multi-stemmed, upright 2-5m; Branches thin, smooth, becoming hollow;  Dicotyledon; bark turns pale grey & shreds with age

Leaves:  Opposite, ovate, 3-6cm long, short-stalked & blue-green; Smooth, hairless, bluish-green leaves

 

Flowers:   Usually in 2 pairs developing in axils of leaves at end of branches; 2 leaflets beneath each bud pair, 2 sepals above leaflets; Petals pink to crimson, tubular, 2-lipped, 7-20mm long, fragrant.    Blooms May-June.  Fruit - abundant berries 3mm diameter, joined at base, ripening orange to red that are available in winter for the birds & other wildlife 

Habitat:  Adaptable to wide range of habitat; open woods, ravines, woodland edges; prefer moist, sunny areas

Invasive Potential:  Moderately invasive in Ontario.  Replaces native understory species & ground flora thereby changing vegetation structure; impedes forest seedling & natural tree regeneration;  spread   by birds & mammals dispersing seed. Native Eastern Asia

Control: 

Mechanical:  less dense infiltrations - pull ensuring all roots removed 

Chemical:  systemic herbicides such as Roundup are most effective.  Another method is to cut off near ground level & apply herbicide  

Biological:  There are no current biological control methods available

Recommendations:  As with most invasive plants it is best to remove and replace.  To contain remove seedlings annually as they appear.  Widespread dispersion by birds limits effectiveness.  Replacement with North American natives such as Spice bush (Lindera benzoin) - hardy to CDA zone 5 or Viburnum - hardy to CDA zone 3