Gooseneck Loosestrife?

When I used the white flowers below in the centerpiece for my last week's Tablescape Thursday post HERE, I asked readers for help identifying the plant. Mimi of In the Middle of Nowhere was the first to respond with the correct answer.

I won't try to name everyone who offered a response, but I truly appreciate their input and their expertise. Mimi said it's Gooseneck Loosestrife, adding "it can be rather invasive, so you might want to watch it closely! It has taken over one corner of my flowerbed...I will have to do some serious eradication this fall!"

Below is where it's growing on the property. It's easy to see how the word, gooseneck, became associated with Lysimachia clethroides, with their slender arching spikes of white flowers.

It's in a wide border on the left, facing the house, at the top of our "sunken garden."

Its tendency to be aggressive is somewhat contained here.

Looking toward the house (it was early morning).

The gooseneck longstrife has to overcome English ivy and monkey grass if it wants to take over the steeply sloping area leading down to the garden.

Stone steps lead to the area below -- they're not as treacherous as the camera angle would make it seem.

I'm using loosestrife in my next tablescape post. Here's a peek:

And an overview. I hope you'll be back to see the rest!

Bee Balm and Gooseneck Loosestrife design

If you want to know even more, here's an excerpt from an article by Gerald Klingaman, retired Extension Horticulturist from the University of Arkansas:

Gooseneck loosestrife is a 24- to 30-inch foot tall, fast-spreading, herbaceous perennial in the primrose family. It is a neat and tidy grower with lots of elliptical, mostly glabrous leaves densely crowding the erect stems. In the fall there may be a bit of yellow fall color.

From early- to mid-summer a nodding, terminal spike of white flowers is produced atop each stem. Small, individual non-fragrant flowers have five petals and are to one-quarter-inch across. When plants first flower, the spike is about 4 inches long. Later in the summer it will extend to about a foot. Plants continue flowering as long as the soil stays moist and temperatures do not get too high.

Most of the 180 Lysimachias are native to Europe or Asia. This species is widely distributed in China and Japan where it grows in moist mountain meadows, near streams and along roadways.

The Website-based public opinion poll shows a divided gardening electorate. About one-third have a negative view of gooseneck loosestrife, one-third are positive and one-third hasn’t made up its mind. Many in the neutral category have grown it for only three to four years so their opinion may become more negative over time.

Gooseneck loosestrife’s detractors uniformly condemn its invasive root system. It spreads widely by white rhizomes, especially if planted in moist, fertile soil.

About 15 years ago I planted a plant in a dry, partially shaded bed where oak roots predominate; today the clump is about 6 feet across. If you don’t like, or are afraid of bamboo, then you probably should not plant gooseneck loosestrife.

This plant is hardy from zone 4 through 9 and has a decided preference for bright, rich, moist sites. Gooseneck loosestrife will grow in full sun or medium shade. Its growth rate is checked considerably by shade and summer drought. It is not well suited for inclusion in the mixed border or the small garden because of its thuggish ways. However, plants with invasive roots can be grown by containing the roots in a buried container.

On larger properties gooseneck loosestrife can be used for naturalizing along stream overflow areas or at the interface between woods and open ground. It can be used as an herbaceous groundcover in areas where its spread can be controlled by mowing or a natural barrier such as water or a walk. Its spread is only by means of its rhizomes, not by seed.

Gooseneck loosestrife should not be confused with purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), the escaped ornamental that has become a common weed of waterways in the northern states. Purple loosestrife and gooseneck loosestrife, though they share a common name, are in completely different families.


I hope you all have a great week!