Purple Loosestrife (The Marsh Ecosystem at the Watershed Center )

Purple Loosestrife

Lythrum salicaria

Summary ¹

Identification
Purple loosestrife is taller than its look-alikes. Purple loosestrife can grow up to 9 feet tall whereas its look-alikes stay much shorter. Purple loosestrife flowers are a purple-pink color, where it’s name comes from of course. The purple loosestrife also has sort of square stems which tell it apart from the look-alikes, fireweed and spirea.

Niche
Energy Role
Purple loosestrife is a producer because it makes it’s own food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. Because it is an invasive species, there are no native organisms that eat it.

Other Roles in the Ecosystem
Purple loosestrife may be a pretty flower, but it is a huge environmental issue. It is an invasive species and will take over fields and wetlands. It takes away homes for some animals, it reduces water flow, it will also take away hunting opportunities. Although purple loosestrife is a dangerous species, it sure is a beautiful flower. Unfortunately there is nothing good about the species besides it’s beauty.

Sources:
1.http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/purple-loosestrife.aspx
2.http://dnr.state.il.us/stewardship/cd/biocontrol/11purpleloosestrife.html

Sources and Credits

Adapted by mtastudent from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lythrum_salicaria

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