purple loosestrife

American  

noun

1. an Old World plant, Lythrum salicaria, of the loosestrife family, widely naturalized in North America, growing in wet places and having spikes of reddish-purple flowers.

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Etymology

Origin of purple loosestrife

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

A single occurrence of, say, purple loosestrife, does not an invasion make.

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2023

However, every plant depicted, from purple loosestrife to wild roses, is the product of more than three months of painstaking observation as Millais worked on the banks of the Hogsmill River in Surrey.

From Nature • Oct. 23, 2018

Leaf-beetles can be used to as a biocontrol for invasive plants such as purple loosestrife.

From Textbooks • Sep. 6, 2018

“One of the best things is that, wherever you find purple loosestrife, now you also find the beetles,” she said.

From Washington Times • Jul. 18, 2015

Between them and the stream itself stood half-grown clumps of purple loosestrife and fleabane, which would not flower for nearly two months yet.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams