Gooseneck Loosestrife
Join Green Thumb Sundays Lysimachia clethroides
There’s only one thing that bugs me about this plant.
It’s too aggressive to put in a garden. It prefers moist almost wet soil but that won’t stop it from spreading in dry soils. It might be slowed down a bit but expect it to pratice monoculture if it gets established. Gooseneck Loosestrife will out compete even the toughest weeds.
A couple of transplants moved to the wild edge of the yard have formed a major invasion force in only a few years. The area is wet in spring but by midsummer the soil is very dry. These plants are a bit small because of the dryness but that didn’t stop them from claiming the area for it’s own. One of the few plants I’ve actually seen take on quack-grass and win.
4 Responses
Leave a Comment
Comment Feed
You might want to see my response to the stuff people throw in the box
Subscribe in a reader
July 20th, 2008 at 10:50 am
At one time, it was a plant suggested for difficult places, and now they tell us it’s invasive in much of the U.S. It is so pretty that it’s too bad.~~dee
July 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’ve been so tempted to get the dark-leaved form of this (’Beujolais?’), but I keep reminding myself I have enough to do trying to restrain the Aster tartaricus & the Japanese Anemones I planted.
July 20th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Please don’t tell Apple, I gave her some….It does spread fast but I do like it.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
The two plants I started with are now 12. I guess I’ll always have something to trade.