Don't confuse this native prairie wildflower and it's "Bad Boy" invasive weed cousin "Purple Loosestrife".
Plant Type
All Plants, Wild Flowers
Sunlight
full
Moisture
moist
Soil & Site
Found growing in marshes, drainage ditches, along streams, wet prairies and wet pastures.
Flowers
greenish tube with 6 purple petals, occur solitary in the axis of the leaves, some have 6 protruding styles, some have all the parts in the corolla tube
Leaves
opposite on the lower stem and alternate above, shiny green upper surface, up to 2 inches long with the leaves on the upper stem being much smaller.
Stems
smooth, hairless, 4-angles and slightly winged
Dimensions
up to 2 feet tall
Propagation
seeds
Misc Facts
The genus names alatum refers to the winged characteristic of the stem.