THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Loosestrife

Lisa Karen Miller

          One of my favorite plant names is Gooseneck Loosestrife.  It has tall conical sprays of tiny white flowers that are similar to a goose’s graceful neck. When the wind blows, a patch resembles a gaggle of geese wandering through your garden. Wander is exactly what Lysimachia clethroides does, though, so beware.   

          Another species with the common name Purple Loosestrife is Lythrum salicaria. Also known as long purples, it was one of the weeds Ophelia used to weave her ghastly wedding garland, worn to her watery grave.  Its name comes from the Greek lythron, which translates to “bloody gore.”  This could be a reference to the use of its flowers as a red dye, or the color the leaves turn in the autumn.

          This plant has been used as a bug repellent. Gerard, in his Historie of Plants, says “The smoke of the burned herbe driveth away serpents, and killeth flies and gnats in the house.” Horses and cattle wore garlands around their necks in the summer to deter biting insects.

          The leaves were used by leather tanners because of their high tannin content.

Also astringent and antibacterial, the leaves were used in concoction to treat sore throats and oral inflammation. Nicholas Culpeper claimed, “This water gargled warm in the mouth and sometimes drunk cures quinsy, or Kings Evil in the throat.  The said water applied warm taketh away spots, marks, and scabs on the skin.”

          In Lancashire, England, it was so highly regarded it was collected and sold at markets.  During an 1868 cholera outbreak, it was touted as a cure. As it is a natural antibiotic, it may have been somewhat effective for this purpose.

          The plant was also believed to have the magical power to enhance the psychic abilities of seers. Gerard claimed it was useful in calming wild animals, especially horses.

          It reputedly made its way to North America from Europe among the sandy ballast of a cargo ship in the 1800s. It was at first cultivated for its beauty and medicinal properties, but quickly escaped into the wild.  It prefers moist areas where water meets land, such as boggy ditches, the margins of lakes and ponds, marshy areas, and floodplains.  

          It is now listed as an invasive plant in most of the eastern United States.  Some states have made it illegal to plant, sell, or possess it – such is the danger it poses to crops. It self-propagates by means of creeping, fleshy rhizomes (think mint), and a single plant can produce 2.7 million seeds. 

          Loosestrife – when it gets loose, it will cause strife.  Best keep it contained, or admire it from afar.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller