Purple loosestrife, Striped loosestrife, Spiked loosestrife
Lythrum salicaria
Family: Lythraceae
What it is like
A herb. It grows to 60-150 cm tall and 45-60 cm wide. It keeps growing from year to year. Young growth is usually hairy. It has strong upright stems. These arise from a clump of downy leaves. The leaves are 2-7 cm long by 1 cm wide. The flowering stalk is spike like and very long. The flowers are small and starry. They are about 1.8 cm across. They can be pink or purplish red. The fruit is a small capsule enclosed in a tube of the flower. One mature plant can produce one million seeds.
It is used in medicine. There are 38 Lythrum species. It has been declared a weed in some States of the USA. It can be invasive. Chemical composition: Ash = 7.3%. Rich in lime, starch, sugars, carotene. and pectin
Where it is found
It can grow in subtropical and temperate regions. It is frost hardy. It will grow in most soils. It suits moist or boggy land. It can grow on the edges of water a few cm deep. In Pakistan it grows between 600-1,500 m altitude. It can tolerate shade. It suits hardiness zones 3-10. Tasmania Herbarium.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, Central Asia, China, Europe, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Siberia, Sicily, Slovenia, Spain, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA
How it is used for food
The young shoots are cleaned, boiled, washed again and then seasoned and eaten.
Edible parts
Leaves, stem, root
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. They can also be grown from cuttings. These should be planted into wet soil.
Its other names
Local names
Hevhulma, Navadna krvenka
Synonyms
Chabraea vulgaris Bubani; Lythron salicarium St.-Lag.; Lythrum alternifolium Lorey; Lythrum anceps (Koehne) Makino; Lythrum argyi H. Lév.; Lythrum biflorum J.Gay; Lythrum cashmerianum Royle; Lythrum cinereum Griseb.; Lythrum coronense Schur; Lythrum diffusum Sweet; Lythrum dubium Schult.; Lythrum hexagonum Bercht. ex Opiz; Lythrum intermedium Ledeb. ex Colla; Lythrum palustre Salisb.; Lythrum propinquum Weinm.; Lythrum pubescens Sweet; Lythrum purshianum Steud.; Lythrum salicaria var. anceps Koehne; Lythrum salicaria var. glabrum Ledeb.; Lythrum salicaria subsp. intermedium Hara; Lythrum salicaria var. intermedium (Ledeb. ex Colla) Koehne; Lythrum salicaria var. mairei H. Lév.; Lythrum salicaria var. salicaria; Lythrum salicaria var. tomentosum (Mill.) DC.; Lythrum spicatum Gray; Lythrum spiciforme Dulac; Lythrum tomentosum Mill.; Salicaria spicata Lam.; Salicaria vulgaris Moench;