California Invasive Plant Council

Lythrum salicaria

Common names: purple loosestrife

Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) is a wetland herb (family Lythraceae) that invades scattered freshwater wetlands of northern and central California. Infestations are found in northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as along rivers in the southern Sierra. It is a hardy perennial that can rapidly degrade wetlands, diminishing their value for wildlife habitat.

Cal-IPC Rating: High?

Explanation of Cal-IPC ratings

• High – These species have severe ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal and establishment. Most are widely distributed ecologically.
• Moderate – These species have substantial and apparent-but generally not severe-ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal, though establishment is generally dependent upon ecological disturbance. Ecological amplitude and distribution may range from limited to widespread.
• Limited – These species are invasive but their ecological impacts are minor on a statewide level or there was not enough information to justify a higher score. Their reproductive biology and other attributes result in low to moderate rates of invasiveness. Ecological amplitude and distribution are generally limited, but these species may be locally persistent and problematic.
• Alert – An Alert is listed on species with High or Moderate impacts that have limited distribution in California, but may have the potential to spread much further.
• Watch – These species have been assessed as posing a high risk of becoming invasive in the future in California.

CDFA Rating: -*?

Explanation of CDFA ratings

• A – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and is either not known to be established in California or it is present in a limited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment.
• B – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is of limited distribution.
• C – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is usually widespread.
• D – An organism known to be of little or no economic or environmental detriment, to have an extremely low likelihood of weediness, or is known to be a parasite or predator.
• Q – An organism or disorder suspected to be of economic or environmental detriment, but whose status is uncertain because of incomplete identification or inadequate information.
• * – An asterisk next to the rating indicates that a plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds.
• -* – This plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds, but is otherwise not rated.

More details

Assessment(s)

Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Species ID Card

Invasive Species ID Card - To support field identification of early detection species, Cal-IPC has designed a set of Species ID cards that can be downloaded, printed double-sided, and trimmed to size.

Weed Management Notes

• Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Weed biological control agents approved for California. Pitcairn, Michael J.; Smith, Lincoln; Moran, Patrick. Vol 22, Issue 1
• Tracking eradication progress . Guise, Vince. Vol 21, Issue 3
• Chasing weeds from Maine to California. Stack, Lois Berg. Vol 16, Issue 4
• Biological control of invasive exotic pest plant species: A report on the importance of maintaining and enhancing our nation’s biological control capabilities. CalEPPC. Vol 03, Issue 3

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• The role of public gardens as sentinels of plant invasion. Culley, Theresa; Dreisilker, Kurt; Ryan, Clair; Landel, Hans; Cavallin, Nadia; Arcate Schuler, Jessica; Shultz, Brittany; Gettig, Roger; Havens, Kayri (2020)
• Partnering with California Conservation Corps on large scale weed removal in the Oroville Wildlife Area. Ferrara, Holly (2019)
• Efficacy and safety of new herbicides on the horizon. DiTomaso, Joseph M. (2005)
• Flood-borne noxious weeds: Impacts on riparian areas and wetlands. Donaldson, Susan G. (1997)
• The search for patterns or what determines the increased competitive ability of invasive non-indigenous plants? Blossey, Bernd (1996)
• Federal regulatory efforts to minimize the introduction and impacts of exotic pest plants in the United States. Westbrooks, Randy G. (1995)
• Use of biologically based methods to control pest plants:Issues related to federal research, regulation, and implementation. Chornesky, Elizabeth A.; Palmer, Cynthia M. (1995)

Other Lythrum salicaria Information

• Bugwood - National database from the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
• CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
• EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
• Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.

Additional photos