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Ludwigia longifolia

Phonetic Spelling
lud-WIG-ee-uh lon-jee-FOH-lee-uh
This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
Description

Primrose Willow is an invasive, upright, annual, water plant in the evening primrose family and native to South America. Leaves are long and thin and yellow flowers appear in summer through winter.

Primrose Willow grows in sandy, silty soil in water bodies, including wetlands and riparian areas, swamps, marshes, drains and channels. It will grow in up to 12 inches of water above the crown. To control it, it is best to plant it in a 5-gallon container.

Do not plant in the landscape; it is invasive and has become problematic in many parts of the world including the southeastern United States. Primrose Willow can invade waterways and wetlands, forming dense colonies in slow moving and still waterways. It can out compete native plants, reduce fish habitat, increase flood risk, and limit waterway access. Primrose Willow spreads mostly by seeds. Mature plants can produce up to 2.45 million seeds per plant that are spread in moving water, wind and by birds.

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#invasive#water garden#yellow flowers#spreading#annual#waterweed#aquatic weed
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#invasive#water garden#yellow flowers#spreading#annual#waterweed#aquatic weed
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Ludwigia
    Species:
    longifolia
    Family:
    Onagraceae
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Bolivia to Brazil and Northern Argentina
    Distribution:
    Florida and Japan.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Water Plant
    Weed
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil Drainage:
    Frequent Standing Water
    Moist
    Occasionally Wet
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gold/Yellow
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Winter
    Fruit Description:
    Seed pods are 1.5 inches long and 1/3 of an inch wide, oblong to narrow-oblong, with lots of seeds in separate chambers. Seeds are dust like.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Solitary
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Winter
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Yellow flowers with 4 (or rarely 5) petals each and 4 red or green sepals. single in the junctions of upper leaves present from summer–winter.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Linear
    Oblanceolate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Long, thin, green, lanceolate leaves on erect red stems. Leaves are 8 inches long, 1 inch wide, with a pointed tip. Larger lower down and smaller higher up the stem. stalkless alternate on the stems.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Red/Burgundy
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Cross Section:
    Square
    Stem Description:
    Stems are erect.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Landscape Theme:
    Water Garden
    Problems:
    Invasive Species
    Weedy