purple loosestrife

noun

1. an Old World plant, Lythrum salicaria, of the loosestrife family, widely naturalized in North America, growing in wet places and having spikes of reddish-purple flowers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of purple loosestrife¹

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

A single occurrence of, say, purple loosestrife, does not an invasion make.

From Science Daily

Purple loosestrife, an invasive flowering plant, is sprouting up - a problem that Rothman said will be resolved by galerucella beetles that were released in the area in the 1990s and that eat purple loosestrife.

From Washington Times

Purple loosestrife, an invasive flowering plant, is sprouting up — a problem that Rothman said will be resolved by galerucella beetles that were released in the area in the 1990s and that eat purple loosestrife.

From Seattle Times

However, every plant depicted, from purple loosestrife to wild roses, is the product of more than three months of painstaking observation as Millais worked on the banks of the Hogsmill River in Surrey.

From Nature

It is closely related to purple loosestrife, which is native to Europe and Asia and is invasive in Vermont.

From Washington Times