Leaf
Agnieszka Kwiecień, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Yellow loosestrife
Lysimachia vulgaris L.
Also known as: Garden loosestrife
Family: Primulaceae
60 cm to 1.2 m tall
Banks, damp gardens, moist rich soils
Flowering: June – September
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its upright clump of bright yellow flowers spreads rapidly along the water's edge thanks to its creeping rhizome. Yellow loosestrife bears its yellow flowers in a single dense panicle at the top of the stem, with sepals that have a reddish margin; dotted loosestrife bears its flowers in staggered clusters in the leaf axils along the whole stem, with entirely green sepals. Both have a similar upright habit and flower at the same time.
🍃 Leaves
Ovate-lanceolate, opposite or whorled, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Small bright yellow flowers in large terminal panicles
🍎 Fruits
Small globose capsules
🪵 Bark
Upright clump with creeping rhizome
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, temperate Asia; common in wetlands, riverbanks and ditches in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Yellow flowers rich in distinctive floral oils, visited by specialist bees (Macropis) as well as generalists.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Pond margins, moist beds, naturalistic gardens; can be invasive in very wet soil.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Yellow loosestrife
Lysimachia vulgaris
Dotted loosestrife
Lysimachia punctata
Yellow loosestrife bears its yellow flowers in a single dense panicle at the top of the stem, with sepals that have a reddish margin; dotted loosestrife bears its flowers in staggered clusters in the leaf axils along the whole stem, with entirely green sepals. Both have a similar upright habit and flower at the same time.
🌿 Other Primulaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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