We are Being Invaded by Purple Loosestrife

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The Purple Loosestrife is an invasive species that continues to reproduce and slowly being treated. The invasive species of the Purple Loosestrife, or Lythrum Salicaria, is a wetland plant that can produce up to 2.7 million seeds with each plant blooming about 30 flowering stems from early July until early September. From their long flower spikes, they have five to seven pink purple petals with a purple rose flower. This invasive species can grow from anywhere between four feet to ten feet tall. Species that are closely related or often confused to be a Purple Loosestrife include the following: fireweed, blue vervain, blazing stars, and native swamp loosestrife.
Europe and Asia is where the Purple Loosestrife is native, but more specifically traces back to Great Britain, Central Russia, Japan, Northern India, and Southeast Asia. North America was exposed to the Purple Loosestrife around the 19th century and the United States and Canada started to use this invasive species for medicine use. European ships used to carry soil that was a ballast or a heavy material that gave stability and often used to form beds of railroads or roads, and once the ships docked in Northern America that soil was discarded, making the plant introduced into North America. Introduced on the Atlantic Coast of Northern America where this species started growing westward spreading all over Canadian Provinces and every state in the United States, expect for Florida. Popular places where the Purple Loosestrife is located include the following: Great Lakes, and Sioux Lookout, but is also capable of invading pond edges, reservoirs, ditches, and freshwater wet meadows. This plant estimates to be covering 400,000 acres of federal land. One popular promo...

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