|
|
Article: LOOSESTRIFE STIFLES THE COMPETITION.(Living)
- Article from:
- Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)
- Article date:
- July 31, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Albany Times Union. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: Susan E. Tomer Staff writer
Purple loosestrife - the spiky purple bloom that sweeps in waves across the Northeast in summer - is one of the loveliest flowers in the landscape and one of the peskiest.
Lythrum salicaria grows two to six feet tall, its spires covered with tiny four- or six- petaled flowers (usually six), from the end of June until the first frost. It spreads aggressively, crowding out other plants and so birds' and animals' habitats. While it prefers moist, marshy soil, it will colonize drier areas, too.
State botanist Richard Mitchell says purple loosestrife threatens the very existence of the state's wetlands. Unless a ...