# Loosestrifes (*Lysimachia*)

Loosestrifes are colorful plants that bloom with bright flowers in summer. They often grow near water and can make gardens look beautiful with their tall, cheerful spikes of flowers.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![Loosestrifes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Illustration_Lysimachia_vulgaris0.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Lysimachia_vulgaris0.jpg)

## Appearance

The Loosestrifes has upright or trailing stems adorned with cheerful, often five-petaled, cup-shaped flowers. These blooms typically come in bright yellows, but also whites, pinks, and purples, often forming dense clusters or graceful spikes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ericales
- **Family:** Primulaceae
- **Genus:** Lysimachia

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Greeks believed Loosestrifes could calm angry oxen, giving the plant its name!
- Certain Loosestrifes species can survive being completely submerged underwater during floods!
- Some types of Loosestrifes have unique oil-producing flowers that attract special oil-collecting bees!
- The 'moneywort' Loosestrife (Creeping Jenny) has round leaves that look like scattered coins!

## Special abilities

- **Water Lover:** Many Loosestrifes species can thrive in wet, boggy soils, allowing them to colonize areas where other plants struggle.
- **Nectar Beacon:** Some Loosestrifes have clever nectar guides, like darker spots on petals, to direct pollinators straight to their sweet rewards.
- **Hidden Helper:** Certain Loosestrifes species can produce self-pollinating flowers that never open, ensuring seeds are made even without insect visits.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-120 cm
- **Spread:** 20-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen for colony food.
- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Efficiently transfers pollen between flowers.
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady Butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Sips nectar, aiding in pollen transfer.
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on leaves and young Loosestrife stems.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [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.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [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.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Loosestrifes?

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 Loosestrifes?

15-120 cm

### How wide does Loosestrifes spread?

20-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Loosestrifes?

0.5-3 cm

### When does Loosestrifes bloom?

Summer

### Is Loosestrifes edible?

No

### Is Loosestrifes toxic?

Mild

### What is Loosestrifes's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Loosestrifes: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/loosestrifes)