Fringed loosestrife’s nodding yellow blooms hang dreamily in the open spaces among the plant’s leaves. Though not overly showy, the flowers provide a welcome flourish of color during the month of July, when few other shade-tolerant plants are blooming. Native to NE Ohio meadows and the margins of wet woodlands, fringed loosestrife can be planted in moderately shady spots as well as full sun. It’s an especially good choice for a damp, shady area, but it will also do well in places of average moisture. Fringed loosestrife spreads via seed and rhizome to fill in bare areas, but is not overly aggressive. This plant’s flowers are quite unusual in that they produce floral oil rather than nectar. Several species of specialist bees mix this oil with the plant’s pollen and feed the result to their larvae. Other bee visitors to fringed loosestrife are the small sweat bees, which consume the plant's pollen. References: 1,2,3,4,5,6. Photo by Ashley Keesling. Photo 2 by Julie Slater.
