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NAME: Purple Loosestrife

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Lythrum Salicaria / Lythraceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Spiked Loosestrife, Purple Lythrum

CONDITIONS: sun, wet soil, marsh
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves			COOK	Summer
Stalk/Stem
Buds
Flowers
Fruits
Pods
Seeds
Nuts
Roots			COOK	Fall
Bark

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT:  Leaves - cooked. Root - cooked. An edible dye is obtained from the flowers.(1) Purple loosestrife were imported to assist the honey bee business.

 

CAUTION:

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:

Leaves - rich in calcium. Antibiotic;  Antidiarrhoeal;  Astringent;  Hypoglycaemic;  Styptic;  Vulnerary. (1)https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-389/purple-loosestrife  

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: Cosmetic;  Dye;  Preservative;  Tannin;  Teeth. A decoction of the plant is impregnated into wood, rope etc to prevent it rotting in water. The leaves contain about 12% tannin, the stems 10.5%, the flowers 13.7% and the roots 8.5%. It is probably these tannins that preserve the wood etc. The powdered plant is used cosmetically in face-packs to counteract reddened skin.(1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lythrum+salicaria
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lythrum_salicaria
3. https://botanicseye.com/purple-loosestrife
4. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Lythrum_salicaria (good photos)
5. http://www.fftimes.com/news/global/recipes/practise-urban-homesteading-rabbit-stew-purple-loosestrife-risotto-recipes
6. https://nationalpost.com/life/food/urban-homesteading-earth-wise-consumption-possible-even-in-apartments-author