This Thursday I am joining Kimberley at Cosmos and Cleome again in featuring a plant growing in my garden. Until choosing this plant for my feature today, I was unaware of its common name Purple Loosestrife, as I only knew the botanical name Lythrum salicaria and the German name ‘Blutweiderich’. I had heard of Purple Loosestrife, but never put two and two together!
Lythrum loves damp ground, so this year it has done much better than usual. It is one of the few plants that I water if it is dry. It grows down near our river, where it gets taller than mine – this one is just 50cm tall but in the wild with the right conditions I have seen it about 80cm tall too.
It is a fantastic plant for pollinators of all kinds, especially bees and hoverflies…
Lythrum appears late, with the first leaves visible only after the last tulips have flowered. It is therefore useful for areas where spring bulbs leave a gap. And in autumn the foliage turns orangey red, prolonging the interest. But the flowers are what I grow it for in this area reserved predominantly for herbs. And it has had many herbal uses in the past; as a diuretic, for stopping bleeding, for stomach disorders and even for skin problems.
The Nigella seedheads are a happy coincidence, reflecting the pinky red of the flowers and buds. The yellow in the background is St John’s Wort.
Do you grow this flower, or have you seen it growing nearby?
Thanks to our host once more – do go and visit Kimberley to see what she is featuring this week.
🙂
I love it! it has seeded by itself near the garden pond. Many wasps and bees visit it. 🙂
Great! I have had all sorts of insects on mine too. 🙂
I think this plant is considered highly invasive in North America. So I gather it doesn’t behave that way in Europe?
I don’t think it can be as I have only seen it down near the water and it is not as profuse as the golden rod for example.
Beautiful flower, seen it growing around the pond in the local park. The colour is very eye catching.
Yes, a nice splash of colour in the countrside here too. 🙂
As Jason mentioned we’re not able to grow it here. Caught my eye in a plant book and I’ve liked it very much since, but will have to enjoy it through your eyes.
That’s a shame. We have more problems with other water-loving invaders such as Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). The authorities have done a good job of clearing much down near our river, but it’s a tough battle. It stops smaller native plants growing which are vital for our local wildlife. But it looks gorgeous in flower when seen from the water!
We have that here but I would have been afraid of bringing it into the garden but yours looks beautiful and the bee is appreciative too. Great picture of the bee! As I have been looking out for plants that the bees like I have begun to notice that many of them are associated with herbal properties. Amelia
The wild versions of many flowers we grow seem to have far more pollen then the cultivated ones and I suppose they all originated from wild flowers anyway. Unless you have a boggy garden I should think it is quite safe to introduce some of this plant. As far as I know it is not invasive in Europe, in fact has to be protected in some regions.
We have some purple loosestrife growing by our pond and it is a bee favourite. Millais featured the plant in his painting of Shakespeare’s “Ophelia” – here is a bit more info about the background to the painting https://philipstrange.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/the-flowers-and-the-bees/
Thank you for the link Phil. Interesting hearing about the old names people had for plants!
Stunning images, especially the one with pin sharp, slanty eyed bee. Is this a cultivar? Our hedgerow sort, which I love, are paler in bud and flower ….
I have never seen paler ones Kate. The ones in the wild do vary a little as well, and there are probably many varieties. Mine was a bargain plant with no name at my ‘garden centre’ (Bavaria is not renowned for its interest in gardening!)
I have to echo what Jason said. This is one of the most invasive plants in the US but it is a beauty.
I have since read several reports about its invasiveness in the US. Sadly it is not common in all parts of Germany and is valued highly when it does turn up in the wild!
Gorgeous photos, Cathy. I’m glad all the rain brought out the best in this purple darling. The Nigella seed pod is stunning, too.
I know you love Nigellas too Alys. They haven’t flowered too well this year so I will have to scatter a bit more seed. 😉
I often wonder from year to year why some things do better than others. I had one summer of the most amazing cosmos I had ever seen, and saved many seeds for gifts. They grew taller than me and provided cutting flowers all summer long. I’ve never had a crop like that since.
I often wonder that too. No two years are the same!
I guess that is part of what keeps gardening interesting.
Oh your header is most attractive Cathy. Is it new or have I been unobservant? Your lythrum sounds most tempting. I like the colour as well as the fact that it’s a good pollinator. Is it scented?
It isn’t scented as far as my nose can tell Anna, but perhaps the insects smell it. It is in any case very popular with the bees. Oh, and the header is new – part of my vase from last week!
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