PlantFiles: Variegated Yellow Loosestrife, Circle Flower
Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander'

This plant is beautiful even without the flowers. The shape and variagation is stunning. For now I'm container-growing but because it looks good all the time, I'm thinking of adding it to my front bed and keeping an eye on its spread.

From the time 'Alexander' emerges in spring with hints of pink and purple to the time it dies back in fall, it is beautiful. I, too, have it in a moist, somewhat shady area, and it thrives. My information says it is hardy in zones 3-9. Perhaps it is just with certain sources, but some plants have a tendency to revert to green quickly.

This is a patented plant.

I bought a few starts of 'Alexander' in the spring of 2004. I planted in fairly dense shade where they survived...but just barely. This spring I moved them to a brighter location where they would get a little more attention. They've snapped out of their doldrums nicely and may even bloom a bit for me this year.

One problem that I've had with the plant is that it seems to lose it's variegation as the plant matures. But since it *does* grow where I've planted it, I've no intention of pruning out the reverted stems. :-)

Definitely a nice plant!
~julie~

This is an upright perennial variety that offers numerous flowers on each tall, elegant stalk, along with interesting, variegated foliage.
It's charming golden yellow flowers borne up the stems in the axils of the leaves.
Attractive foliage variegated in cream and green. Occasional pink highlights (mine has pink all over it now) ~ Very Pretty & Unique ~ Grows well in any soil

I planted this in clay soil approximately 4 years ago in zone 3b. It is planted on the east side of the house which gets about 6 hours of morning sun.

It blooms from early to mid summer with extremely bright yellow flowers. When not in bloom, the variegated foliage looks nice. I do shear back the foliage a little after flowering just to tidy the plant up a bit.

My plant has quickly matured to a nice size. Next year I will be dividing it to control its size.

What a great plant! Although your first correspondent noted that this plant grows in the hot sun, I have had success in the wet shade, in the same bed as astilbe.
It is ridiculously easy to divide -- just take your shovel and chop some off, like hosta.
Variegated loosestrife comes up as red nodules in the spring, about the same time as the astilbe. The leaves soon change to a yellowish-white, and then change yet again to green dappled with yellowish white.
The plant flowers in midsummer. I suppose it flowers more heavily when it's in the sun, but so what -- I get some flowers and I love the airy look of the leaves. I am dividing it to use as a groundcover under trees -- it's a nice change from pachysandra and hosta.

This prolific plant seems to like the hot, dry bed I've planted it in. It doesn't seem to suffer in late summer when watering is necessary, and it's tripled in size from last year, the first year I had it as a cutting from a friend.