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Fringed Loosestrife

Lysimachia ciliata

Found in moist forests, especially bottomlands and coves dominated by hardwoods. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

55
Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
1–4 feet
Spread
1–2 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 1.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 44 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to September
Fruiting season
August to October

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 24 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 3

Moist forests

Woods Scene
Harvey Joiner, Woods Scene: tall beeches in a moist Kentucky woodland, light falling through a closed canopy onto a damp forest floor. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Kentucky beech woods (Harvey Joiner, Louisville painter of Kentucky beech forests; the painting does not name the site), a neighboring state.Woods Scene, Harvey Joiner, c. 1880-1920. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Rich cove forests

Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 91 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (36)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

6CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Lysimachia

  • Catocala consorsThe Consort
  • Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
  • Nola cilicoidesBlurry-Patched Nola
  • Papaipema lysimachiaeLoosestrife Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
10BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lysimachia

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
4Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Lysimachia

  • Macropis ciliata
  • Macropis nuda
  • Macropis patellata
  • Macropis steironematis
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Primulaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
October

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Lysimachia ciliata; loosestrife

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources