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Purple Loosestrife is also known as:
- beautiful killer
- marsh monster
- exotic invader
There are five eligible activities under Nova Scotia’s Agricultural Biodiversity Program:
- Wetland Restoration
- Farm Pond Construction
- Beaver Pond Management
- Flushing Bars
- Invasive Species Control (Purple Loosestrife)
In This Section
Invasive Species Control—Purple Loosestrife 
The majority of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) efforts regarding invasive species control are directed towards the biological control of purple loosestrife. DUC has been involved with a purple loosestrife control program in the Maritimes since 1996.
Purple loosestrife originated in Europe and was accidentally introduced into North America in the early 1800s as a contaminant in ship ballast and as a medical herb. It has taken many years for this weed to impact our area, but it is now present in many regions. Also known as the beautiful killer, marsh monster and exotic invader, purple loosestrife establishes itself in a variety of urban and rural wetland habitats.
Purple Loosestrife greatly reduces biodiversity in the wetland, dominate and eliminate many valuable plant species. The displacement of native vegetation by purple loosestrife reduces the value of wetlands and has far reaching ecological implications, many of which are still unknown.
With no enemies in Canada it has been difficult to control the spread of purple loosestrife here. No herbicides are approved for use to control purple loosestrife growing in or around waterways. Hand digging is an option for small outbreaks, but this method is too time consuming and costly for larger outbreaks and is not viable as a long term solution since only a small piece of root is needed for the plant to regenerate.
The only approach that has demonstrated real success is the use of insects to control the spread of purple loosestrife. These insects are also non-native to Canada, but have been approved for release to combat purple loosestrife. The insects that DUC uses in the Maritimes are two leaf eating beetles called Galerucella calmariensis and Galerucella pusilla. These specialized plant eating insects do not eat any other plant or harm our natural environment.
