Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker'
Lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker' · Primulaceae
Rich chocolate-purple leaves on upright stems, with small, nodding, lemon-yellow flowers in midsummer.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late June to early August
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker'
The planner designed this bed around fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' × 3, burgundy leaves
- 2 Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei' × 8, pink
- 3 Blue moor grass × 3, purple
- 4 Northern sea oats × 3, tan
- 5 Korean feather reed grass × 1, pink
- 6 Golden ragwort × 21, yellow
- 7 Spring snowflake × 12, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- At the back. At 2½ ft it is seen over golden ragwort (20 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- A step in the back row. Next to northern sea oats (3½ ft) and golden ragwort (20 in): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 8 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The scheme leans cool (pink and purple) and uses yellow for warmth, with tan and white to calm things between them. Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei' and blue moor grass finish the front edge.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 4 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' spreads aggressively. Northern sea oats spreads aggressively.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' goes in a border
At 2½ ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium tall (2½ to 3 ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
One of the best dark foliage plants for moist soil, and a runner: it comes up through its neighbours. Plant it in a sunk container or among shrubs that can take it.
- Dark foliage for moist soil
- Contrast with gold and silver leaves
- Pond margins
What to plant with fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Japanese forest grass 'Aureola': low enough (16 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Siberian iris: adds the flowers, late May to late June; happy in the same moist soil.
- Sneezeweed: adds the flowers, early August to late September; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker'
Does fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' need sun or shade?
Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. It copes with soil that stays wet.
What zones does fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 2½ ft (80 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker'?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
Will fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads fast by underground runners and comes up among its neighbours. Contain it with a barrier.
What does fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' look like in winter?
Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.
Is fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' good for bees and butterflies?
Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' is visited by pollinators, bees and songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Lysimachia
- Creeping Jenny 'Aurea' Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'
- Gooseneck loosestrife Lysimachia clethroides
- Yellow loosestrife Lysimachia punctata
In these guides
- Plants for wet soil and rain gardens
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native perennials for pollinators
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants for bees
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 2½ ft (80 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium tall (2½ to 3 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Late June to early August; open bowls; yellow
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; burgundy, purple
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Primulaceae
- Comes from
- Canada to U.S.A
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Wet soil
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.