Six Petal Water Primrose Ludwigia hexapetala
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- lood-WIG-ee-ah heks-ah-PEH-tah-lah
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
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Creeping water primrose is an invasive aquatic plant in the primrose family native to Central and South America and is found along the margins of lakes, ponds, ditches, and streams. It has invaded waterways from NC south to FL, west to Texas and the Pacific coastal states. There are native Ludwigias that may be confused with this invasive plant. It is currently found throughout North Carolina and is listed as a Class B state noxious weed.
This plant can form large mats that can grow 3 feet tall to shade out native plants and clog waterways. It has two stages of growth. It produces light green, floating stems early in the season with rosettes of smooth, shiny, rounded leaves. Later the stems become erect, reddish-brown, and produce more lance-shaped pointed leaves arranged alternately along the stems. Mid-summer through frost bright yellow flowers are produced in the leaf axils and produce many seeds. The stems grow up to 10 feet long and freely root at the nodes allowing the plant to spread vegetatively also.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Class B noxious weed in North Carolina. Do not plant. See alternatives to the left.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Ludwigia
- Species:
- hexapetala
- Family:
- Onagraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and South America
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Water Plant
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a pubescent, cylindric capsule up to 1.5 inches long with many seeds maturing in summer and fall
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- 6 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are solitary, 1-2 inches wide, with five to six bright yellow petals. The petioles have hairs. Flowering occurs from mid to late summer until a killing frost
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Initially, the leaves are a rosette with roundish to spatulate leaves. Later the leaves become alternate and lance-shaped with pointed tips, are mostly sessile with a few hairs. They can be up to 4.5 inches long and 1 inch wide
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Initially stems are green and floating. Upright stems become reddish with hairs.
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Landscape:
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
- Weedy
