Flower profile
Winged loosestrife
Lythrum alatum
Winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum) is a low shrub in the Lythraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.
Winged loosestrife is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Lythrum alatum, commonly known as winged loosestrife, winged lythrum or angled purple-loosestrife, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It is endemic to wetland areas in central and eastern United States and Ontario.
- It belongs to the Lythraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 39 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 593 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #54 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in June–August.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S1), DC (S1), MA (S1), MD (S1), PA (S1), VA (S2), VT (S1), WV (S2), WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records winged loosestrife in 39 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 847 counties across 38 states; the most are in Illinois (97), Missouri (88), Louisiana (62).
Other Lythrum on Bloomipedia (1): Purple loosestrife.
More from the Lythraceae family (3 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Swamp loosestrife, Crape myrtle.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LYAL4.
- iNaturalist, Lythrum alatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Lythrum alatum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Lythrum alatum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Amber M. King via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.