Hi All
To add some facts that should be considered about Purple Loosetrife.
The plant has a pretty flower that is good in a garden.  It produces
many tiny seed.  The small size of the seed make it very low importance
as a food source to bird.  If Loosetrife was not taking over the swamps
and waterway to the detriment of other higher food value plant. It
would not be consider as bad.  Stress by fire, flood, and mechanical
are ineffective to Loosetrife.  Fire and flood actual help increase     f
the area the plant grows because it out produces the other plants of the
area.  Cutting the plant doesn't reduce its area only the amount of
seeds it produces.  Cutting plants in wet areas is also expensive.
    I don't however like the introduction of non native insect to
control the plant.  Insects are not controlable.  If the insects could
be limited to wetland and only Loosetrife, then use them, but not before
The amount of Loosetrife lost for bee forage would also not be so vast.
 
 
Richard A. Pelikan, A275CCR
Southeast Missouri State University
BITNET:    A275CCR@SEMOVM
INTERNET:  [log in to unmask]