Photo: Karelj, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Perennial · Primulaceae

Fringed loosestrife

Lysimachia ciliata

In other languages: Gewimperde wederik (Nederlands) · Lysimaque ciliée (Français)

Fringed loosestrife comes from North America, where it grows in damp meadows, along streambanks and in open woods, from Canada deep into the United States. It is a perennial with upright stems up to about 90 cm and opposite, oval leaves; the leaf stalks are fringed with fine hairs, the ‘eyelashes’ of its name. From June to August, nodding, star-shaped, butter-yellow flowers hang from the leaf axils. Gardeners mainly choose it for the variety ‘Firecracker’, whose purple-brown leaves contrast strongly with the little yellow flowers. It spreads by underground runners and quickly forms a broad patch.

Caution: It spreads strongly by underground runners and can crowd out smaller neighbours. Do not plant it in a small border without a root barrier, and do not dump chopped-off pieces in the countryside, especially not by water.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Loam, clay or peat
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -30 °C
Size
0.9 m
tall, 0.6 m wide
Flowering
June–August

Key facts
Pruning months	March
Height	0.9 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	June–August

Identify

Fringed loosestrife: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Upright stems up to 90 cm tall, in a patch that spreads to 60 cm and more.
Leaves: Oval to lance-shaped and opposite; green, purple-brown in ‘Firecracker’. The leaf stalks carry fine hairs.
Flower: Star-shaped, butter-yellow, about 2 cm across, nodding on long stalks in the leaf axils, June to August.
Roots: Underground runners by which it spreads quickly.

Flowering: June–August · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March

In your garden

Why grow it?

Purple-brown leaves in ‘Firecracker’: a strong splash of colour from spring to autumn.
Soft yellow, nodding flowers from June to August.
Happy in moist to wet soil, even at a pond edge.
The flowers are visited by bees.
Tough and easy: it quickly fills a gap in a moist border.

Fringed loosestrife: where does it grow best?

Sun or partial shade; ‘Firecracker’ has its darkest leaves in sun.
Moisture-retentive, humus-rich loam, clay or peaty soil, acid to chalky.
Moderately moist to wet: it tolerates wet feet and dislikes drying out.
Give it space or plant it inside a root barrier, as it spreads by runners.
Allow 45–60 cm between plants.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Loam, clay or peat
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Normal or wet
Size: 0.9 m tall, 0.6 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

Purple loosestrife: Purple-pink spikes in the same moist soil, flowering at the same time.
Daylily: Orange or yellow flowers and fresh green leaves beside the dark foliage.
Siberian iris: Narrow leaves and blue flowers in June.
Meadowsweet: Creamy plumes for a wet border.

Maintenance

Fringed loosestrife: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

Plant from March to May or in September–October, when the soil is not frozen.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in compost.
To keep it in check, sink a bottomless bucket or a 30 cm deep root barrier and plant inside it.
Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil.
Space plants 45–60 cm apart.
Water well straight away and keep the soil moist afterwards.

Care

Watering: Keep the soil moist; water generously in dry summers, or the leaves will wilt.
Feeding: Some compost in spring; nothing more is needed.
Runners: Every spring, chop off runners that stray beyond their space.
Support: In rich soil or shade the stems may flop; a few twigs as support help.
Tidying: Cut down the dead stems in March.

Tip: Plant ‘Firecracker’ in a bottomless bucket or behind a 30 cm deep root barrier: you enjoy the dark leaves without the runners taking over the border.

Fringed loosestrife: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: It needs hardly any pruning. In March, cut down last year’s dead stems.

How:

In March, cut the old stems off just above the ground, before the new shoots appear.
Leave them standing until then: they shelter insects.
At the same time, chop off runners growing beyond their space.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division: In March–April or September–October: cut a piece with runners and shoots from the edge and replant it straight away.
Runners: A detached, rooted runner easily grows into a new plant.

Fringed loosestrife: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

Very hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
The stems die back in autumn; new shoots appear in April, dark purple in ‘Firecracker’.
Leave the old stems until March for overwintering insects.

Diseases and pests

Spreading: The runners push in among neighbouring plants. Chop back the edge every spring or plant inside a root barrier.
Slugs: They eat the young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
Wilting: In drought the leaves droop. Water generously and mulch the soil.
Greener leaves: ‘Firecracker’ colours less in deep shade. Give it a sunnier spot.

Through the year

March: Cut down old stems. Plant or divide.
April: Chop off runners. Keep slugs away from the young shoots.
May: Plant. Water in dry spells.
June: Flowering begins.
July: Full flower. Water generously in dry spells.
August: Last flowers. Water in dry spells.
September: Plant or divide.
October: Plant.
December: Leave the old stems standing.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

You and this species

Did you know?

The species name ciliata means ‘fringed with hairs’, after the fine hairs on the leaf stalks.
Like our native yellow loosestrife, its flowers make oil instead of nectar, which in North America is collected by specialist bees.
Loosestrifes of this genus are now placed in the primrose family.

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