Invasive purple loosestrife is blooming and spotters are noticing
iNaturalist Community
Invasive Species
If you spot a tall spike of magenta flowers along a ditch or pond edge this week, reporting it helps land managers track and remove a plant that chokes out native wetland species and the wildlife depending on them.
Purple loosestrife is a tall plant with bright purple-pink flower spikes that grows in wet areas like marshes and pond edges. It's not native to North America, and it spreads so aggressively that it crowds out the native plants that local birds, insects, and amphibians rely on. Right now people across the country are spotting it in bloom and logging it on iNaturalist, which helps scientists and land managers know where it's showing up.
Key Findings
358 research-grade observations of purple loosestrife were logged this week, making it one of the most-observed plant species on iNaturalist
The high observation count coincides with the plant's peak summer bloom period, when its purple flower spikes are most visible
Purple loosestrife is a regulated invasive species in many US states and Canadian provinces due to its ability to outcompete native wetland vegetation
chevron_right Technical Summary
Purple loosestrife, an aggressive invasive wetland plant, is showing up in huge numbers on iNaturalist this week, with 358 verified sightings signaling its peak bloom period across many regions.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) — 358 observations this week
purple loosestrife is among the most observed plant species this week with 358 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Lythrum salicaria or purple-loosestrife is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the genus Lysimachia in the family Primulaceae. This herbaceous perennial plant is native to temperate regi...