Purple Loosestrife

Scientific name: Lythrum salicaria L.

Common names: Purple loosestrife, spiked loosestrife

Native To: Eurasia

Date of U.S. Introduction: Early 1800s

Images: Invasive.org and Google

Means of Introduction: Through ships' ballast and as an ornamental

Impact: Crowds out native species

Current U.S. Distribution:

• National Agricultural Pest Information System - Pest Tracker - Reported Status
• PLANTS Database map (see complete PLANTS Profile for county distribution and native status)
• Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System

U.S. States and U.S. National Parks Where Reported Invasive: WeedUS Database map

Management Plans: Aquatic Species / Purple Loosestrife

Selected Internet Resources:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• University/Academic
• International
• Organizations

Lythrum salicaria
Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
Taxonomy

Purple Loosestrife - Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas (2002)
DOI. National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Distribution; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Lythrum salicaria L. (Purple Loosestrife) - Noxious and Nuisance Plant Management Information System (PMIS)
US Army Corps of Engineers. Engineer Research and Development Center. Environmental Laboratory.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution

Purple Loosestrife - TEKTRAN database
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Research

Lythrum salicaria Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database
USDA. National Agricultural Library.
Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)

Lythrum salicaria - Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)
USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program.
Taxonomy; Distribution; Legal Aspects

Purple Loosestrife - Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States
USDA. Forest Service.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Distribution; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Controls

Purple Loostrife - Weed of the Week (Apr 10, 2005; PDF | 55 KB)
USDA. FS. Northeastern Area. Forest Health Protection.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Lythrum salicaria - Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)
USDA. Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fire Sciences Laboratory.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: References

Purple Loosestrife - Noxious Weed
USDA. Sawtooth National Forest.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Controls

Plant Profile for Lythrum salicaria - PLANTS Database
USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.
Taxonomy; Photographs; Distribution; Legal Aspects

Purple Loosestrife Distribution Map
DOI. National Atlas of the United States.
Distribution; Special Note: In top right menu, scroll to "Biology" (in the top right menu) and select Purple Loosestrife in "Invasive Species" section

Lythrum salicaria - Species Abstracts of Highly Disruptive Exotic Plants at Effigy Mounds National Monument
DOI. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
Taxonomy; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: References

Avian Use of Purple Loosestrife Dominated Habitat Relative to Other Vegetation Types in a Lake Huron Wetland Complex [Wilson Bulletin Vol. 111, No 1:105-114, Jamestown, ND]
DOI. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
Controls; Research

Spread, Impact, and Control of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in North American Wetlands
DOI. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

An Assessment of Exotic Plant Species of Rocky Mountain National Park: Lythrum salicaria
DOI. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: References

Purple Loosestrife Project
California Department of Agriculture.
Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Lythrum genus - EncycloWeedia
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Purple Loosestrife
State of Colorado. Larimer County. Weed Control District.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Idaho's Noxious Weeds
Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts. Idaho OnePlan.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Vegetation Management Manual
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife
Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Bureau.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Dispersion

Purple Loosestrife - Invasive and Exotic Species of Maryland
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife and Heritage Service.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Habitat; Controls

Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project
Massachusetts Office of Coast Zone Management. Wetlands Restoration Program.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Missouri Vegetation Management Manual
Missouri Department of Conservation.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife Management Program
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Ecological Services Division.
Photographs; Controls

Purple Loosestrife: An Exotic Menace - Environmental Fact Sheet (2007; 69 KB)
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Invasive Plants of Ohio
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Natural Areas and Preserves.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Plant Industry.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife
State of Utah. Weber County Weed Abatement.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Habitat; Dispersion; Controls

Purple Loosestrife and Purple Loosestrife Fact Sheet (PDF | 95 KB)
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Environmental Conservation.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia (PDF | 144 KB)
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Natural Heritage Program; Virginia Native Plant Society.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife Identification
State of Washington. King County Department of Natural Resources. Water and Land Resources Division.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Non-Native Freshwater Plants
Washington State Department of Ecology. Water Quality Program.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls; Special Note: References

Purple Loosestrife
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Identification/Distribution; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Wisconsin Botanical Information System
Wisconsin State Herbarium; University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Taxonomy; Photographs; Habitat; Distribution

Purple loosestrife and European wand loosestrife - Invasive Plant Species of Alaska (PDF | 107 KB)
University of Alaska - Anchorage. Alaska Natural Heritage Program.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Controls

Lythrum salicaria (Purple loosestrife) - Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE)
University of Connecticut. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife
University of Delaware. College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - WeedUS Database
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Distribution

Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife)
University of Massachusetts - Boston. Biology Department. Conservation New England.
Identification/Description; Introduction History; Distribution; Special Note: Animation of spread of Purple Loosestrife across Massachusetts over time

Purple Loosestrife - Maine Invasive Plants Bulletin no. 2508
University of Maine. Cooperative Extension.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Invasive Species in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Workshop (May 2002)
Maryland Sea Grant.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: References

Purple Loosestrife Project
Michigan State University.
Photographs; Illustrations; Controls; Special Note: Educational materials

Purple Loosestrife: What You Should Know, What You Can Do
Minnesota Sea Grant.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Exotic Aquatics on the Move
National Sea Grant Network and Geographic Education Alliances.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Noxious Weeds of Nebraska (PDF | 704 KB)
University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Cooperative Extension.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Purple loosestrife - Introduced Species Summary Project
Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Controls

Purple Loosestrife Page
Cornell University. Natural Resources. Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants Program.
Taxonomy; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Purple Loosestrife Identification and Control
North Dakota State University. Extension Service.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide
Ohio State University. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History

Purple Loosestrife - Invasive Plant Fact Sheets (PDF | 541 KB)
University of Pennsylvania. Morris Arboretum; Delaware River Invasive Plant Partnership.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Guide to Weeds in British Columbia
British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries (Canada).
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Purple Loosestrife
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (Canada).
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Distribution

Purple loosestrife
Wildlife Habitat Conservation (Canada). Canadian Wildlife Service.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle, Habitat; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: References

Lythrum salicaria (aquatic plant, herb) - ISSG Global Invasive Species Database
World Conservation Union. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Purple Loosestrife Plant Fact Sheet
Aquatic Plant Management Society.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Distribution

Purple Loosestrife
Colorado Weed Management Association.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion

Lythrum salicaria
Discover Life.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - BioBullies (Western Pennsylvania)
Natural Biodiversity.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Controls

Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife)
Nature Conservancy. Global Invasive Species Initiative.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls; Special Note: Control comments from Stewards, and Element Stewardship Abstract with excellent set of references

Purple loosestrife
Plant Conservation Alliance. Alien Plant Working Group.
Identification/Description; Photograph; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Lythrum salicaria
Pulling Together Initiative. Texasinvasives.org.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls; Special Note: References

Purple loosestrife - Practical Guidebook to the Control of Invasive and Aquatic Wetland Plants of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Region
San Francisco Estuary Institute.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts, Habitat; Controls

Purple Loosestrife - Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle, Habitat; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls; Special Note: Bibliography