Natural England
 

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Autumn squill - Scilla autumnalis
Badger - Meles meles
Bell heather - Erica cinerea
Borage - Borago officinalis
Buff-tailed bumble bee - Bombus terrestris
Butterfly bush - Buddleia davidii
Cardoon - Cynara cardunculus
Clustered bellflower - Campanula glomerata
Columbine - Aquilegia vulgaris
Common comfrey - Symphytum officinale
Common figwort - Scrophularia nodosa
Common mallow - Malva sylvestris
Common sea-lavender - Limonium vulgare
Cowslip - Primula veris
Cross-leaved heath - Erica tetralix
Dead-nettle - Lamium orvala
Dropwort - Filipendula vulgaris
Escallonia - Escallonia sp.
False dittany - Ballota acetabulosa
Globe thistle - Echinops ritro
Gorse - Ulex europeaus
Harebell - Campanula rotundifolia
Hazel - Corylus avellana
Hoary stock - Matthiola incana
Ivy - Hedera helix
Lesser celandine - Ranunculus ficaria
Lungwort - Pulmonaria officinalis
Meadow crane's-bill - Geranium pratense
Monk's-hood - Aconitum napellus
Nectaroscordium siculum - Honey garlic
Onion - Allium christophii
Pincushion flower - Echium pininana
Purple-loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria
Ragged-robin - Lychnis flos-cuculi
Red clover - Trifolium pratense
Red-tailed bumble bee - Bombus lapidarius
Sainfoin - Onobrychis viciifolia
Scorpion weed - Phacelia tanacetifolia
Sea-holly - Eryngium amethystinum
Sweet scabious - Scabiosa atropurpurea
Teasel - Dipsacus fullonum
Tree-mallow - Lavatera arborea
Viper's-bugloss - Echium vulgare
Virginia creeper - Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Water figwort - Scrophularia auriculata
White clover - Trifolium repens
Wood mouse - Apodemus sylvaticus
Woolly lamb's ear - Stachys lanata
Yellow-necked mouse - Apodemus flavicollis
Yellow-rattle - Rhinanthus minor
Zigzag clover - Trifolium medium

Purple-loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria

Purple-loosestrife - Lythrum salicariaPurple-loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria
© Dr Chris Gibson/English Nature
UK distribution - East Anglia, Midlands, North, South East, South West

Magnificent and spectacular spikes of magenta flowers, which last from June throughout the summer, distinguish this tall wetland plant. Found in marshes, rivers, ponds, lake margins and fens throughout England, this is an upright perennial plant growing up to 120cm tall.

Purple-loosestrife is a striking plant that grows well in any moisture-retentive soil; it is best suited to a pond margin or bog garden but may need to be kept under control in small water bodies.

The very curious name is apparently translated from the Greek and means something like 'that which placed on the yoke of quarrelsome oxen will calm them down'. The veracity of this is a little hard to put to the test these days, at least in England.

Animals

Brimstone, Buff-tailed bumble bee, Common carder bumble bee, Elephant hawk-moth, Honey bee, Red-tailed bumble bee, White-tailed bumble bee

FoliageGreen
FlowerPurple, June to August
MoistureWet (Wet)
SunlightFull sun (Full sun)
OriginNative