swamp loosestrife

Decodon verticillatus

Swamp loosestrife is a tall plant that loves wet places like swamps and marshes. It has pretty purple flowers that bloom in summer and attract butterflies and bees.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The swamp loosestrife is a sprawling shrub with long, arching stems that often root where they touch water. Its narrow, lance-shaped leaves are arranged in distinctive whorls. Small, star-shaped flowers, typically rosy-pink to purple, are clustered in the leaf axils, creating a vibrant display.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderMyrtalesFamilyLythraceaeGenusDecodon

swamp loosestrife

Interesting facts

In autumn, its vibrant green leaves can turn a beautiful reddish-bronze color!

Its leaves often grow in amazing circles around the stem, almost like a green starburst!

Swamp loosestrife helps filter wetland water, making it healthier for all animals!

This plant can create dense, tangled mats, making wetlands feel like a secret garden!

Special abilities

Swamp loosestrife can float its hollow stems on water, helping it spread and survive floods.

Swamp loosestrife can root new plants from stems touching water or mud, forming dense new colonies.

Its tiny seeds can float, allowing them to travel far on water currents to find new places to grow.

Measurements & details

Height: 100-250 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 1-2 cm
Bloom Season: Summer to fall
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar from its flowers

pollinates

Common eastern bumblebee

Bombus impatiens

feeds on pollen and nectar

shelters

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

finds cover in its dense growth

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Rapid Growing

Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

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.