Terraqua plant of the month for July 2020 is Lythrum salicaria or Purple Loosestrife.
Latin Name: Lythrum salicaria
Common name: Purple Loosestrife
Purple-loosestrife can be found in wet habitats, such as reedbeds, fens, marshes and riverbanks, where its striking spikes of magenta flowers rise up among the grasses.
Many tall stems can grow from a single root stock.
Flowering between June and August, its nectar becomes a valuable food source for long-tongued insects, such as Brimstone butterflies, Red-tailed Bumblebees and Elephant Hawkmoths.
It’s a tall plant, with large, pink flower spikes and long green leaves in opposite pairs up the stem.
It can be found throughout the UK but is less common in Scotland.
Growing up to 1.5m it’s a beautiful impressive feast for the eyes.
