One beastly beauty
If there were an Invasive Species Hall of Fame, purple loosetrife would be its star. These gorgeous perennial herbs thrive in sunny wetlands, in ditches, around ponds, in fields and prairies…well, just about anywhere there's light and water.

Native to Europe, this purple pariah was accidentally introduced to North America in the mid-1800's. It has no natural enemies here, so it has spread aggressively into wetlands throughout the upper Midwest and Northeast.

Purple loosestrife, thanks to its showy splay of flowers, makes a lovely garden flower, and its use in flower gardens has added to its spread. Unfortunately, loosestrife is a pioneer of the worst kind, sometimes kicking native plants out of their rightful homes.

The best, and possibly only, way to rid an area of the domineering plant is pulling it out of the ground. Lots and lots of pulling. Since a single plant may produce up to 300,000 seeds, there remains lots of work to be done.

Image courtesy USDA.