# fringed loosestrife (*Lysimachia ciliata*) Fringed loosestrife is a pretty plant with yellow flowers that bloom in summer. It grows tall and has soft, fringed leaves that look like they are waving in the breeze. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![fringed loosestrife](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yellow_woodland_flower_001.JPG&width=800) Photo: User:SB_Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow_woodland_flower_001.JPG) ## Appearance The fringed loosestrife has distinct bright yellow, star-shaped flowers with delicate, frilly edges, giving them a unique fringed appearance. Its leaves grow in whorls around a smooth, often purplish stem, distinguishing it from other meadow plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Primulaceae - **Genus:** Lysimachia ## Interesting facts - Ancient people believed this plant could 'loose' (release) arguments, hence its common name! - Its scientific name, Lysimachia, is thought to honor an ancient Greek king, Lysimachus! - Look closely for tiny black dots on its leaves – they are special glands! - This plant is sometimes called 'whorled loosestrife' because its leaves grow in circles! ## Special abilities - **Fringed Petals:** The fringed loosestrife has unique fringed petals that give its bright yellow flowers a distinctive, frilly look. - **Extrafloral Nectaries:** The fringed loosestrife can produce sweet nectar on its leaves to attract helpful ants for protection against pests. - **Rhizome Spreading:** The fringed loosestrife can spread quickly using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form dense colonies. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 60-150 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar from its flowers - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — crucial for plant reproduction - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — its leaves are a food source - **Eaten by:** [Eastern cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — rabbits sometimes browse it ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify fringed loosestrife? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is fringed loosestrife? 60-150 cm ### How wide does fringed loosestrife spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on fringed loosestrife? 1-2 cm ### When does fringed loosestrife bloom? Summer ### Is fringed loosestrife edible? No ### Is fringed loosestrife toxic? None ### What is fringed loosestrife's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Chesterfield Gorge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chesterfield-gorge) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Eakin Community Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eakin-community-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Jefferson District Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jefferson-district-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Salem Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/salem-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Bayley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bayley-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Candler Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/candler-park-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District [View all places to see fringed loosestrife](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fringed-loosestrife) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Fringed Loosestrife: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fringed-loosestrife)