swamp loosestrife

Swamp loosestrife, also known as water willow or wild oleander, is a woody perennial marsh herb native to eastern North America. It belongs to the Lythraceae family and is characterized by its lance-shaped leaves, which grow in opposite or whorled arrangements, and its magenta flowers that bloom in axillary clusters.12

While swamp loosestrife itself is native, another plant in the loosestrife family, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), is an invasive species in North America. Originally from Eurasia, purple loosestrife forms dense colonies that displace native wetland vegetation crucial for wildlife.2