Lythrum alatum

Make sure you don’t confuse this native species with the invasive purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria.  Winged Loosestrife gets its name because of the strips of green leaf-like tissue present on its stems.  Beneficial to pollinators, its flowers can range in color from purple-pink to pale lavender.  It is a very versatile plant that grows in fields, wet meadows, ditches, roadsides, pond edges, streams and garden settings.