# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![swamp loosestrife](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Decodon_verticillatus_flower.JPG&width=800) Photo: Antepenultimate, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Decodon_verticillatus_flower.JPG) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Myrtales - **Family:** Lythraceae - **Genus:** Decodon ## 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 - **Floating Stems:** Swamp loosestrife can float its hollow stems on water, helping it spread and survive floods. - **Rooting Power:** Swamp loosestrife can root new plants from stems touching water or mud, forming dense new colonies. - **Water Traveler Seeds:** 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 - **Shelter:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — finds cover in its dense growth ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [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 stay on paths when exploring wetlands to protect plants and animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify swamp 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 swamp loosestrife? 100-250 cm ### How wide does swamp loosestrife spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on swamp loosestrife? 1-2 cm ### When does swamp loosestrife bloom? Summer to fall ### Is swamp loosestrife edible? No ### Is swamp loosestrife toxic? None ### What is swamp loosestrife's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Blydenburgh Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blydenburgh-park-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Caleb Smith State Park Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/caleb-smith-state-park-preserve) — New York, US · State Park - [Lowell Holly Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lowell-holly-reservation) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Sears - Bellows Pond County Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sears-bellows-pond-county-park) — New York, US · Park [View all places to see swamp loosestrife](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/swamp-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: [Swamp Loosestrife: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/swamp-loosestrife)