# Yellow Loosestrife (*Lysimachia vulgaris*)

Yellow Loosestrife is a bright yellow flower that grows in wet places. It has tall stems and many small flowers that look like little stars. This flower is loved by bees and butterflies!

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

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

Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 15:11, 26 September 2005 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lysimachia_vulgaris.jpeg)

## Appearance

The Yellow Loosestrife is a tall, upright plant featuring bright golden-yellow, star-shaped flowers clustered in leafy spikes at the top of its stems. Its lance-shaped leaves grow in distinct whorls of three or four, making it stand out in marshy areas.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It can form huge, dense colonies by spreading its roots underground!
- Its name 'loosestrife' might come from an old belief it could calm animals.
- Some special bees visit its flowers to collect a unique oil, not just nectar!
- The plant was historically burned, as people believed its smoke warded off insects.

## Special abilities

- **Rhizome Runner:** Yellow Loosestrife can spread rapidly using underground rhizomes that help it form dense colonies and colonize new ground.
- **Wetland Warrior:** Yellow Loosestrife has roots adapted to thrive in waterlogged or boggy soils, helping it survive in wet habitats.
- **Oil Offering:** Yellow Loosestrife has special flowers that produce oil bodies, which attract unique oil-collecting bees for pollination.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Oil-collecting Bee (*Macropis europaea*) — Collects floral oils
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Feeds on nectar
- **Eats:** Water-lily Leaf Beetle (*Galerucella tenella*) — Feeds on leaves
- **Shelter:** Common Frog (*Rana temporaria*) — Hides in dense foliage

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [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.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Yellow 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 Yellow Loosestrife?

30-150 cm

### How wide does Yellow Loosestrife spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Yellow Loosestrife?

1-2 cm

### When does Yellow Loosestrife bloom?

Summer

### Is Yellow Loosestrife edible?

No

### Is Yellow Loosestrife toxic?

Mild

### What is Yellow Loosestrife's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Anamosa State Penitentiary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anamosa-state-penitentiary) — Iowa, US · Historic District
- [Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pleasant-valley-wildlife-sanctuary) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve
- [Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gene-coulon-memorial-beach-park) — Washington, US · Park

[View all places to see Yellow Loosestrife](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-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*)

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Source: [Yellow Loosestrife: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-loosestrife)