BC Living
Embark on Culinary Adventures: 5 Must-Try Solo Dining Experiences Around BC
You Gotta Try this in April 2024
English Muffins – From Scratch
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Travel Light, Travel Right: Minimalist Packing Tips for Solo Explorers
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Cozy Accommodations
Local Getaway: Relax at a Hidden Cabin along Jordan River
Films and TV Series that Inspire Solo Travel
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for April
Cooking Classes
Sḵwálwen Botanicals – Changing the Face of Skincare
Culinary Fashion: What to wear on “Foodie Field Trips”
Freshen Up your Skincare this Spring with these 9 BC Based Skincare Products
“People once believed garden varieties of purple loosestrife didn’t produce seed,” says Cory Lindgren, who oversees Canada’s biocontrol efforts for the invasive non-native. They were wrong. The majority of purple loosestrife infestations are the result of ‘garden escapes.’
“Recent scientific studies have confirmed that loosestrife in gardens is capable of pollen and seed production. These plants can cross-pollinate with other garden varieties, as well as wild loosestrife populations,” says Lindgren.
Like most weeds, purple loosestrife quickly dominates an area and outcompetes native vegetation, resulting in large solid stands of the vexatious plant. And that’s the problem. This drastic change in species composition and decrease in biodiversity affects everything from the nutrient cycling regime to wildlife usage, says Ducks Unlimited, an organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands for the benefit of waterfowl and other wildlife.
So, what can you plant instead? An environmentally safe alternative to purple loosestrife is spiked gayfeather (Liatris), also called blazing star. It is a native perennial with pink, purple or white flowers.
For further information about loosestrife, visit www.ducks.ca/purple