Purple loosestrife

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a wetland weed than forms dense monotypic stands that crowd out native plants that wildlife relies on. It has been credited with being the cause of the local extinction of black terns from Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge between 1887 and 1993. At the present, purple loosestrife populations at the conservation area seem to be fairly limited, but definitely need to be monitored.

Purple loosestrife has been observed on the south end of the fishing pond, in ditches near the pond, and on a fairly dry area of the transfer station property where the following pictures were taken.