PlantFiles: Yellow Loosestrife, Circle Flower
Lysimachia punctata

Not proven invasive in Maine. Puts on a show twice a summer and shallow rooted enough to control. Dead heading is a must in controlling this plant so it gets clipped before second bloom and afterwards. If I have too much it gets traded or composted.

This pretty plant is taking over. It is the ultimate "volunteer", showing up in the middle of rose bushes, above our rockery, etc. It is the most aggressive weed we have here on Lake Sammamish, near Seattle. King County is undertaking a "Yellow Loosestrife eradication effort" which entails public meetings and letters and postcards sent to all lakefront homeowners asking them to eradicate all Yellow Loosestrife.

Searching for "Loosestrife eradication" on Google, I see that this is not uncommon. Governments are aggressively trying to get rid of yellow loosestrife in various regions.

Why the heck would anyone buy an aggressive weed that can't be controlled? Shouldn't your neighbors have some say in whether to have this sprouting all over their yards?

I encourage Dave's Garden to stop promoting dangerously invasive plants.

I had grown mine in full sun about 7 years ago. During the second year, I had ripped out most of it, because of it's invasiveness. The third year, I removed it completely and potted up a small portion. The fourth year & fifth year, I still had some new shoots, but were easily removed. The fifth year, which was potted for a year, overwintered with no problem. I then transplanted it into full shade. Year six, it had still spread considerably, although the height is definitely less than it was in full sun. Still, it thrives with no sun and the only water it gets is from rainfall; no supplemental water. This one is kind of tough to get rid of, and even tougher to kill.

Hot year, cold year, rainy year, sunny year...this garden perennial never waivers and always puts on a reliable show. I've had it planted for 8 years and although it has a reputation for "escaping" and becoming invasive in other gardens, I've not had a problem in our heavy clay soil. I have it planted at the top of my hillside garden where the drainage is good and it has "stayed put" and only increased it's perimeter modestly each year.

Just wanted you to know that it grows well in Washington state also. Planted it a year ago, lost the tag and couldn't remember what it was called until I found your website and then identified it. It looks great in my garden - so bright and yellow but think I will need to keep it within better bounds as I can see that it would like to take over!

I have found that Lysimachia does very well in zone 4. Over winters very well. I have not found it to be invasive. It stays in nice clumps that do get larger each year, by suckering, but also selfseed. I find it to do well in either shade or full sun, but requires a bit more moisture in the full sun. Transplants ealily but needs to be well watered until established and can also be started from seed. By seed in my zone it take two years to get a nice little clump.

This plant is a great flower to add filler in a flower arrangement, this definitely is a positive but then it throws its seed around which is then a negative.But the seedlings are easy to hoe out. But is not a spectacular showy plant.

Great perennial for height, foliage color & pretty, small yellow flowers that bloom from late June to September. The variety I have has darker leaves & is a nice contrast with other perennials. Can be grown in sun to part-shade & no special soil requirements that I've encounted. Disease & pest resistant in my experiance as well. Not sure if it reseeds itself or suckers underground, but new plants spring up in the spring a bit away from the mother plant. Just lift & plant where more is wanted. Transplants very easily. Keep new transplants well watered until established.
Over-winters very well in my Southern Ontario zone 6a/b garden.

This plant thrives for me in our Ohio zone 5 gardens. I have it in partial sun in both beds and it has overwintered well for us, too.