Whorled Loosestrife, Whorled Yellow Loosestrife, Lysimachia quadrifolia L., Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Whorled Loosestrife	Lysimachia quadrifolia L.	Primrose	Upland	Early to Late Summer
Other names and notes	(Whorled Yellow Loosestrife). The five-part yellow flowers spring on long stalks from the leaf axils; the leaves, without teeth (entire) in a whorl of 4 or 5, hence the common name. It grows upwards of 2 feet high, the stem, rarely branched, with fine hair. The plant grows in large numbers in the Upland Garden, particularly on Aspen Alley. The genus name is from the Greek for either king Lysimachus or from lysis meaning "a release from" and mache is for "strife". The legend is that Lysimachus, king of Sicily, was walking through a field. A bull chased him. He grabbed a loosestrife plant, waved it in front of the bull and it calmed the bull. In general then, both the common and the generic name refers to a supposed power to sooth animals or "loose" them of their "strife". See below for more. The species name quadrifolia means 4-leaved. See notes below as to the uniqueness of the Garden Population.


Above: Flowers of early July. Below the leaf whorl typical of the plant.

Notes: This plant is not indigenous to the Garden area. Eloise Butler catalogued it in her index file of plants in the early Garden but she undoubtedly obtained the plants from elsewhere. It is native to Minnesota but has been reported found in Minnesota only in Pine County. The last specimen collected for the University Herbarium was in the year 2000. The plant is listed on the State's "Special Concern" plant list. Per the DNR "A species is considered a species of special concern if, although the species is not endangered or threatened, it is extremely uncommon in Minnesota, or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements and deserves careful monitoring of its status." Thus, the population in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden is very special.

Lore: As explained above, the common perception that the plant has soothing powers over animals led people to tie a branch to the yolk of oxen, making them easier to handle. The plant is known to repel gnats and other irritating insects which maybe explains why the animals were easier to handle. Pliny the elder wrote that the odor of loosestrfe would keep snakes away.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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