Purple Loosestrife

Look out for purple loosestrife with vibrant purple or magenta spires of flowers in dense whorls. Its later flowering at this time of year makes it a striking sight on damp roadside and watercourse margins. With deep roots and creeping rhizome or underground stem this tall plant of marshy ground, tolerates fluctuating water levels. Associated fauna include medium sized bees and some hoverflies, which pollinate it, caterpillars of powdered quaker moth, small elephant hawk-moth and emperor moth, and beetles which graze leaves, roots and flowers. Known as créachtach as Gaeilge, purple loosestrife is part of our native Irish biodiversity.