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Purple loosestrife

You might be forgiven for thinking it was lavender, but then you hear it is actually an invasive species, and that takes all the fun out of it.  But only for a while.  Then things get better again, and the purple loosestrife begs you to look, and to notice, but not to pluck or bulldoze or scythe.

The thing is, it adapts to all climates, and makes itself to home equally on abandoned railway lines--where it is called railway weed, or in the wetlands--where it pops to distract you from herons nesting in bark stripped trees, or in an open field, where it is the lodge pole pine among its peers.
Image result for nesting blue heronImage result for purple loosestrifeImage result for purple loosestrife marshRelated imageImage result for railway weed
Not to be confused with butterfly bush--although it is tempting--purple loosestrife is also different from fireweed, which is the floral emblem of the Yukon.
Image result for buddleiaImage result for fireweed

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