Valuable riparian habitat is degraded, and food species are rapidly displaced by this weed, which has no wildlife value. Purple Loosestrife spreads both by seed and spreading rhizomes that form dense, woody mats. Crowded flower spikes develop at the stem tips in midsummer. Flowers are 1 inch in diameter with 5 to 7 reddish-purple, wrinkled petals that appear as if they have been crushed. A single plant may produce over 2.5 million tiny seeds per year.
Herbicides are available, but effectiveness is inconsistent and application is difficult. .