Gooseneck loosestrife

Questions about gooseneck loosestrife

Does gooseneck loosestrife need sun or shade?

Gooseneck loosestrife grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

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 gooseneck loosestrife grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does gooseneck loosestrife flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early July to mid August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should gooseneck loosestrife be planted?

24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 3 ft (90 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many gooseneck loosestrife plants do I need?

At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 10 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 four in two groups.

Is gooseneck loosestrife 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.

Is there a native plant like gooseneck loosestrife?

Gooseneck loosestrife comes from China, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and Primorye. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Mountain mint: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early July to early September.
• Bee balm: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; red, pink or purple, not white.
• New York aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late August to mid October.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat gooseneck loosestrife?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will gooseneck loosestrife spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads aggressively by underground runners and is hard to remove once established. Plant it only where it can be contained.

What flowers after gooseneck loosestrife?

Gooseneck loosestrife is over by mid August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does gooseneck loosestrife look like in winter?

Gooseneck loosestrife dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is gooseneck loosestrife good for bees and butterflies?

Gooseneck loosestrife is visited by pollinators and specialist bees.