Dotted loosestrife is an herbaceous, perennial flower in the Primulaceae (primrose) family. It is native to Asia and southern/central Europe. It was introduced into North America for ornamental gardens but has naturalized widely in the U.S. and Canada in damp, sunny areas such as ditches, meadows, roadsides and stream banks. The species name means spotted. It is a tall, erect, rhizomatous plant reaching 3 feet in height, forming large mounding colonies. This plant prefers rich, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Growth is less aggressive in dry, shady soils. It primarily spreads through rhizomes but may also self-seed. It has attractive whorled leaves and a spike of yellow flowers with an orange-red center that blooms from late spring to fall. It is best utilized as a naturalized groundcover in wild gardens or remote beds or borders where aggressive, unwanted spread into lawns or other perennial beds is not a concern. See native alternatives to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Weedy. Susceptible to rust and leaf spots.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The hairy lance to ovate shaped leaves are up to 3 inches long and grow in whorls of 3-4 leaves.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head; Spike
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Cup-shaped, 1-inch flowers have 5 bright yellow petals with an orange-red center. Petals have fine hairs. Flowers are arranged on spikes and bloom on short pedicles in the leaf axis from May to September.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Eastern Central & South Eastern Europe to Northern Iran, Asia
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Lysimachia support the following specialized bees: Macropis (Macropis) ciliata, Macropis (Macropis) patellata, and Macropis (Macropis) steironematis.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Specialized Bees
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Colorful; Easy to Grow; Textural