Native Plants
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Lysimachia terrestris
Lysimachia terrestris (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
Earth Loosestrife, Swamp Candles
Primulaceae (Primrose Family)
Synonym(s): Lysimachia terrestris var. ovata
USDA Symbol: LYTE2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
Erect stems with opposite leaves and racemes of star-like, yellow flowers with 2 red spots at the base of each petal.
This handsome species was introduced into Cranberry bogs in the Northwest from the East. In a wetland garden this showy species will spread rapidly by underground stems. Loomis' Loosestrife (L. loomisii), with candle-like clusters of yellow flowers and whorled, very narrow, 1-inch-long (2.5 cm) leaves, occurs from North Carolina to Georgia. Tufted Loosestrife (L. thyrsiflora), looks very different, with flower clusters borne from the axils of the lower leaves. It is found in swamps and bogs in much of Canada, south to New Jersey, west to West Virginia, Missouri, Colorado, and California. Swamp Candles freely hybridize with Whorled Loosestrife (L. quadrifolia), producing lovely intermediates, and with Tufted Loosestrife, producing plants with both terminal and axillary flower clusters.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Red , YellowBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WA , WI , WVCanada: BC , MB , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
Native Distribution: Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Ontario; south through New England to Georgia; west to Kentucky and Arkansas; north to Iowa, Minnesota, Manitoba, Western Washington.
Native Habitat: Swampy or boggy areas.
Growing Conditions
Soil Moisture: MoistBenefit
Conspicuous Flowers: yesValue to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL |
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Lysimachia terrestris in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Lysimachia terrestris in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lysimachia terrestris
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-03Research By: TWC Staff