Common Loosestrife Beautiful But Invasive Flower Royalty-Free Stock Image

Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife, Rosy Strife, Kill Weed. Lythrum is a fairly small genus with about 36 species worldwide, with 13 species found in the United States, only 6 of which are native. The species presented here, Lythrum salicaria, Purple Loosestrife, is the most widely distributed species, and it is not a native. Introduced as an ornamental from Eurasia in the 1800s, this is a highly invasive but, unfortunately, attractive weed, especially in northeastern parts of the United States. It is found in damp grasslands and banks of rivers and streams in every state except Florida, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and is a threat to wetlands in all of them.