Suggested Native Replacements:
- Blue cardinal flower, Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
- Blue vervain, Common vervain (Verbena hastata)
- Cardinal flower, Indian pink (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Dense blazing star, Dense gayfeather (Liatris spicata)
- New york ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)
- Sweet pepperbush, Coastal white-alder (Clethra alnifolia)
- Sweet-scented joe-pye-weed, Purple joe-pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum var. purpureum)
- Three-nerved joe-pye-weed, Coastal plain joe pye weed (Eutrochium dubium)
Common Name
Purple loosestrife
Plant Form
Herbs
Region
Coastal
Piedmont
Mountain
Considered Invasive by the State of Virginia?
Yes
Threat Level
High
Additional Info
Notes: This plant is still available for sale. It was introduced as a contaminant in ships’ ballast and as a medicinal herb and has spread along roads, canals, and drainage ditches to degrade wetlands since the early 1800s. Nearly all states and many Canadian provinces have been infested, and it is listed as invasive in Arlington and Alexandria.
Method of removal: Pull up by roots
iNaturalist Research-grade Observations