Okanagans Most Unwanted
Purple Loosestrife
Where Is It and How'd It Get Here?
In the early 1800's Purple Loosestrife (or the Lythrum Salicara) was introduced to Eastern North America in the water ballet of ship from Europe. It was first planted in the Alberni Garden in 1916 and then spread across Southern North America and was infested into the lower Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, and the Okanagan. This plant will give off 2.7 million seeds per year. The seeds will fly through the air and usually land in wetlands (near and or in canals, rivers, creeks and river) Even though their looks are appealing they aren't good for our ecosystem. There will form almost dam like thing within creek or commonly canals.
Features
- The flowers are about 7-11mm
- The leaves tend to be somewhat spike-y
- The flowers bloom from late July to September
Features
- The plant is usually about 3 or 4 meters tall
- in groups and has a shrub like appearance
Features
- The stem of the plant tends to be a bit thick it almost has a woody texture
How Do We Get Rid Of Them?
The plant is potentially delicate when it comes to removing them because the seeds are quite easy to spread. So they will usually only cut it from more of the top area in hopes that the seeds don't fall off of the plant. Once they are cut they will be placed into a bag that is plastic. Either they are cut from the top or ripped out from the roots. People will try to get them out usually in big groups considering t would be more effective. They have to be cautious when removing them so that the seeds don't spread or fall, in consideration as to how small the seed are.