Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife

Regular price £6.95

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  • Approximate height: 120cm (48 inches)
  • Recommended water depth over crown of plant: 0 - 10cm (0 - 4 inches)
  • Flowering time: June to August
  • Flower colour: Pink
  • Supplied in the solid 1 litre pot we grow them in - for best results we recommend potting on using a 2 litre pot

This pretty and well-known British native has tall stems of thin dark-green leaves topped with spires of bright pinky-purple flowers in summer. The flowers are extremely attractive to bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies, and butterflies (the plant is on the RHS 'Perfect For Pollinators' list). It is clump-forming rather than running, and very easy to grow. It is naturally quite a tall plant, but cutting back the shoots once or twice in spring before it flowers can bring it down to a much shorter height if desired, and also make it a more bushy shape, without affecting the formation of the blooms. Please note the lower leaves of this plant develop black speckles in the summer; this is normal and nothing to worry about.

It makes a pleasing contrast to the Pale Pink Form of this plant if grown together; they are identical apart from the colouring. 

If designing a planting scheme, we recommend approximately 2 Lythrum salicaria plants per square foot of ground, or 1 plant per linear foot of pond edge. Read more here on how to pot and care for your plant.