![]() ![]() Thoroughly brush off your clothes and equipment before leaving the site. Be aware that your clothes and equipment may transport the small seeds to new areas.Further cutting of stems or pulling can now take place without fear of spreading the tiny seeds. At sites where plants have gone to seed, remove all of the flowering spikes first by bending them over a plastic bag and cutting them off into the bag. Control activities can continue during this time, but require greater care so seeds are not shaken from the plant. Once flower petals start to drop from the bottom of the spike, the plant begins to produce seed. Plants are easily recognized, and it has not yet gone to seed. The best time to control purple loosestrife is in late June, July and early August, when it is in flower.It is critical that the correct herbicide is used and applied as recommended for purple loosestrife management. Finally, cut the stems at the ground to inhibit growth.Ĭhemical Control: The Watershed Council recommends chemical treatment only when other means of control are deemed unlikely to achieve success. Also, remove last year’s dry seed heads, as they may still contain seeds. Remove as much of the root system as possible, because broken roots may sprout new plants.Ĭutting: Removing flowering spikes will prevent this year’s seeds from producing more plants in future years- remember each mature plant can produce over 2 million seeds per year. Older plants have larger roots that can be eased out with a garden fork. The following simple guidelines will ensure that your efforts to control the spread of purple loosestrife are effective.ĭigging & Hand Pulling: Pulling purple loosestrife by hand is easiest when plants are young (up to two years) or when in sand. Controlling the spread of purple loosestrife is crucial to protecting vital fish, wildlife and native plant habitat! Purple loosestrife can easily spread if improper control methods are used. However, for large stands, such methods are impractical and costly. For small stands of loosestrife, burning, spraying, and pulling are still the best ways to rid an area of the plants. The underground stems can grow up to a foot each growing season.įor years, conventional ways of dealing with the purple loosestrife problem were tested. In addition to seeds, purple loosestrife can also produce vegetatively by sending up shoots from the root systems. Leaves are heart or lance shaped and flowers have 5 to 7 petals.ĭue to the long flowering season, purple loosestrife plants have the ability to produce millions of seeds each year. Purple loosestrife produces square woody stalks 4 to 7 feet high. Native to Europe and Asia, purple loosestrife can be identified by its purple flowers which bloom from June to September. Purple loosestrife has gained a strong foothold in many North American wetlands, rivers and lakes, including many in Northern Michigan. Unfortunately, it is still sold as an ornamental plant in many states. ![]() The plant has been reported in every state except for Florida. Imported in the 1800s for ornamental and medicinal uses, purple loosestrife poses a serious threat to wetlands because of its prolific reproduction. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum Salicaria) is an invasive wetland plant that is beautiful, but dangerous. ![]()
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