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Southern Winged Loosestrife

Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum

Found in pine savannas, pine flatwoods, blackland prairies, coastal prairies, marshes, swamps, other moist to wet places, ditches. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

59
Strong

Native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
Up to about 5 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to September

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 44 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 6

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

Pine flatwoods

Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Lythrum

  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Callosamia anguliferaTulip-Tree Silkmoth
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Show all 11
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
25BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lythrum

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lythrum

  • Coturnicops noveboracensisYellow Rail
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Lythraceae
Flower color
Pink or purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Lance Leaf Loosestrife; Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources