# Marsh Lousewort (*Pedicularis palustris*)

Marsh Lousewort is a beautiful plant that grows in wet places like marshes. It has pretty pink and purple flowers that look like little bells, making it a lovely sight in nature.

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

![Marsh Lousewort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pedicularis_palustris_bluete.jpeg&width=800)

Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 11:17, 28 October 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pedicularis_palustris_bluete.jpeg)

## Appearance

The Marsh Lousewort has vibrant purple-pink flowers clustered on tall stalks, each flower uniquely hooded. Its delicate, fern-like leaves form a feathery rosette at the base, making it stand out in damp, green landscapes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Orobanchaceae
- **Genus:** Pedicularis

## Interesting facts

- Its hooded flowers look like tiny elephant heads or bird beaks up close!
- Its name "Lousewort" comes from an old belief that eating it caused lice in livestock!
- Marsh Lousewort is a hemi-parasite, meaning it makes its own food but also steals from neighbors.
- This plant is a great indicator of healthy, undrained wetland ecosystems!

## Special abilities

- **Nutrient Thief:** Marsh Lousewort can steal water and nutrients from the roots of nearby plants, making it a clever semi-parasite to survive in poor soils.
- **Wetland Warrior:** Marsh Lousewort has special roots that allow it to thrive in waterlogged, acidic bog and fen habitats where many other plants cannot grow.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Marsh Lousewort has uniquely shaped, hooded flowers that guide specific insects, like bumblebees, directly to its pollen and nectar.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** Red Fescue (*Festuca rubra*) — steals nutrients from its roots
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — attracts with nectar and pollen
- **Eaten by:** [Roe Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — sometimes grazed upon in its habitat

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [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.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Marsh Lousewort?

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 Marsh Lousewort?

10-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Marsh Lousewort?

1-2.5 cm

### When does Marsh Lousewort bloom?

Late spring to late summer

### Is Marsh Lousewort edible?

No

### Is Marsh Lousewort toxic?

Mild

### What is Marsh Lousewort's lifecycle?

Biennial

### How is Marsh Lousewort pollinated?

Insect

## 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: [Marsh Lousewort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/marsh-lousewort)