Purple Loosestrife is very abundant this time of year. You can find it almost anywhere there is water - perpetually moist soils, roadside ditches, streams, ponds, lake shores, etc. If it wasn't such a domineering plant you might consider it for your garden.
I first noticed it years ago at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The wide purple expanses of the plant viewed from the NYS Thruway caught my eye. Unfortunately, it is not a welcomed plant and efforts are underway to limit or reduce its spreading. Completely eradicating it is not feasible. It spreads so rapidly and the costs would be prohibitive.
It crowds out other plants, decreasing the biodiversity of vegetation as well as eliminating natural foods and cover for wildlife where ever it grows. Scientists believe it first touched our eastern shores arriving from Europe as a contaminate in the ballast of ships. It was also introduced as a medicinal herb.
It is still used today as a natural remedy in the form of a tea for diarrhea, intestinal problems, and bacterial infections. It is sometimes applied directly to the affected area for varicose veins, bleeding gums, hemorrhoids and eczema.
By the early 1800s, it became well established along the New England seaboard. Inland canals and waterways helped move the plant into interior New York and the St. Lawrence River Valley. The development of new roads, commercial sale of the plant for gardens and bee forage also contributed to its wide distribution. As of the mid 1990s, it was found in every state except Florida.
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