How big does Wand loosestrife grow?

About 1 m × 45 cm after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 0.6–1.2 m × 30–50 cm.

What soil does Wand loosestrife grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, calcareous, acidic.

Is Wand loosestrife hardy?

Hardy down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

When does Wand loosestrife flower?

Flowering: June–September, pink, purple.

How much water does Wand loosestrife need?

Water need: high. Drought tolerance: low.

Wand loosestrife

Lythrum virgatum

Wand loosestrife (Lythrum virgatum) is a perennial that reaches 1 m × 45 cm after ten years. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: low.

Illustration of Wand loosestrife — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A slender, clump-forming perennial with wand-like stems that carries loose spikes of purplish pink flowers for many weeks in summer and draws bees and butterflies. It is the finer, narrower-leaved and more restrained relative of purple loosestrife, and a native of wet meadows in this region. It belongs by a pond, in a rain garden or in a moist border; it also manages in ordinary garden soil if you water it in dry spells. It seeds itself freely, so it is worth cutting off the spent spikes.

Watch out for

It has no serious diseases; slugs and snails may eat the young shoots. In the hot, dry summers of Central Europe it wilts in soil that dries out without watering, and its flowering is shorter. In moist soil it seeds itself freely; if you do not want it to multiply, cut off the spent spikes after flowering.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: High
Care: Low
Size after 10 years: 1 m × 45 cm
Hardiness: down to -40 °C
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D June–September, pink, purple

Group	Perennial
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	1 m × 45 cm
Ultimate size	0.6–1.2 m × 30–50 cm
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Calcareous, Acidic
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	June–September, pink, purple
Water need	High
Drought tolerance	Low
Maintenance	Low
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	Medium
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	50 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 13, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Perennials for part shade Perennials for full sun Perennials that flower all summer Perennials for clay soil Perennials for pollinators Low-maintenance perennials

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