State Noxious Weed List -Yes

Growth form: Perennial forb with a large fleshy taproot. Flowers are very characteristic, rose to .purple in color with five petals arranged on a spike of a few inches to 3 feet long. Also, the stems are four-sided. The plant flowers in July and August, produces two celled seed capsules that contain hundreds of very small pepper like seed. The leaves are simple, 0.75 to 4 inches long, entire, and can be opposite or whorled.

Wild infestations are associated with moist or marshy areas. Purple loosestrife forms dense monotypic stands and displaces native flora and fauna. Ducks avoid wetlands dominated by purple loosestrife.