Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Winged Loosestrife

Unlike purple loosestrife, which is an invasive species introduced to this country from Eurasia, winged loosestrife is a native perennial. It is smaller and less showy. This is the first and only specimen I have ever found. And to think I almost ran over it with my lawnmower! I will have to be very careful mowing out there (beyond my back fence) in the future.


(Click on images to enlarge)

Winged loosestrife likes to confuse the amateur flower-identifier by having mostly alternate leaves on its upper stems, and mostly opposite on its lower stem. The "winged" comes from wings of tissue that supposedly line the edges of its square stem, although I can't see any such thing on this one. I had the devil's own time trying to get a decent picture of it. I ended up putting my camera bag under it for contrast, and it's still not very clear.



If you want a better picture, look on the internet.