Lythrum salicaria is an erect, perennial herb with a woody four-sided stem and whorled leaves. Plants are usually covered by a soft down. Leaves are generally opposite, lance-shaped but heart-shaped or rounded at the base. Mature plants can have 30 to 50 stems emerging from a single rootstock and are prolific seed producers. L. salicaria can grow from 1.2 to 3 m high, depending upon conditions. Showy, trimorphic, magenta-coloured flowers, with five to seven petals, are produced throughout most of the summer. Woody stems of plants remain standing during the winter, when the plant is readily identified by its brownish colour and spiral-shaped capsule clusters. Lythrum salicaria is capable of invading a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, river and stream banks, pond edges, lakes, road site ditches, and reservoirs. The plant prefers moist soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH. Once established, however, L. salicaria can exist in a wide range of soil types. Disturbed areas are more prone to invasion because exposed soil is ideal for germination.
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LOOSE STRIFE HERB C/S
Lythrum salicaria is capable of invading a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, river and stream banks, pond edges, lakes, road site ditches, and reservoirs. The plant prefers moist soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH. Once established, how
