Lythrum/Loosestrife North Carolina

[CCorcione]

I currently live in NC and am having a very difficult time finding a nursery or garden center that sells Purple Lythrum/Loosestrife. Does anyone know of any nurseries that grow it and will ship it to me?

[The Helpful Gardener]

No and there is a good reason for that. [/I]Lythrum salicaria[/I] or purple loosestrife is an invasive of marginal wetland areas, forcing out key wildlife supporters like cattails, wild irises, wild rice that support incredibly wide ranges of fauna. This plant has been willingly given up by responsible nurserymen everywhere; if you were to find this plant in a nursery it is in violation of law in many states and the plant is on the Federal Invasive listing, so it may not transport across state lines. We at HG do not condone or encourage the spread of destructive invasives like purple loosestrife and support the legislation being raised in many states to illegalize certain species the nurserey trade has not been as quick to give up.

My suggestion would be to find non-invasive look alikes like veronica, or better yet a native substutute like aster or liatris to take it's place. Gardens should be refuges for wildlife, not contributors to polluting the biosphere around them...

Most sincerely

Scott Reil
The Helpful Gardener