Whats so bad about Purple Loosestrife?
The nicknames for purple loosestrife – beautiful killer, marsh monster and exotic invader – are telling. An invasive, weedy species, loosestrife readily establishes in a variety of urban and rural wetland habitats. Once it’s present, it has a tendency to dominate, outcompeting native vegetation. The result is solid (monotypic) stands of purple loosestrife. This drastic change in species composition and decrease in biodiversity affects everything from the nutrient cycling regime to wildlife usage. The displacement of native vegetation by purple loosestrife has many far reaching ecological implications, many of which still remain unknown. In urban areas loosestrife commonly takes hold in ditches and can block or disrupt water flow. In agricultural regions it can clog irrigation canals and reduces the value of forage. Once established, it is extremely difficult to eradicate. No herbicides are currently approved to control loosestrife growing in or near waterways. Small outbreaks can be re
