Pronounced: DEK-oh-don ver-tih-sih-LAY-tus (botanical Latin guide)
A native wetland perennial with long leafy stems and pink-purple flowers clustered where the leaves meet the stem.
Photograph by Where’s Wildlife. Tap to browse the photos.
Family: Lythraceae
Bloom: July–September in the Upper Midwest
Height: Arching stems about 3–8 feet long
Habitat: Marshes, swamps, pond margins and shallow, slow-moving water
Other common names: Water Willow
Scientific synonyms: Lythrum verticillatum
Bloom timing and height vary by location.
01 · Pink-purple flower clusters in the leaf axils
02 · Long pointed leaves arranged opposite or in whorls
03 · Stems often arch over water and can root at their tips
Marshes, swamps, pond margins and shallow, slow-moving water. Typical flowering season: July–September in the Upper Midwest.
Show both an axillary flower cluster and the length of a leafy stem.
Stem tips can root on wet ground, forming colonies. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers, and several wetland animals use its seeds or foliage.
This is a different species from introduced Purple Loosestrife. Look for flowers tucked among leaves rather than a dense terminal spike.
A wider view can reveal the long, bending growth pattern that a flower close-up misses.
The photographs include reddish-purple autumn foliage as well as summer flowers.
Eastern Canada and the central and eastern United States.
Observation maps show reported sightings, not the complete native range. Some recorded populations may be historical.
