Winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum) was one of the first plants to bloom in the wildflower garden planted at the (Pelican Island) Audubon House as part of the wildflower workshop on 3-14-15 presented by the Eugenia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and the Pelican Island Audubon Society.
This native plant attracts a plethora of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. A plant of moist and sunny places, it often grows on the banks of ditches.
With its pretty pale lavender flowers and a winged growth habit (hence the species name alatum meaning winged), this native found throughout the central and eastern U.S. can be differentiated from the awful invasive Eurasian purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). Purple loosestrife invades every state except Florida; Its clonal colonies can become so extensive that water flow is disrupted.
Categories: Audubon House, Pollinator Plants
Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area 