Ontario Wildflowers website

Prairie Loosestrife
Lysimachia quadriflora

Other common names: Four-flowered Loosestrife, Four-flowered Yellow Loosestrife

Family: Primrose Family (Primulaceae), (Yellow Loosestrife Family (Myrsinaceae))

Group: Loosestrifes

Distinctive features: Narrow leaves. Yellow flowers. Grows in wet areas.

Similar species:
  •   Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata)

  •   Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia)


Flowers: Summer;  Yellow;  5 parts (petals);  Yellow. Summer.

Leaves: Narrow, stiff.

Habitat: Wet Areas;  Wet areas.

Books: Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 140    ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario: 344   

Native/Non-native: Native

Notes: Don't confuse "L. quadriflora" with "L. quadrifolia" in the books.

Photographs: 159 photographs available, of which 8 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

Prairie Loosestrife. The only ones I've found were growing in quite wet areas; specifically fens.

This photo illustrates this plant's alternate common name: Four-flowered Loosestrife; and its Latin name: L. quadriflora ("four-flowered").

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

Note the typical, yellow, nodding loosestrife-like flowers.

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

Note how the flowers stand out from the stem on thin stalks. And the flowers are nodding (point somewhat downward).

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

The distinctive narrow stiff leaves. These, combined with the yellow, loosestrife-like flowers, ID this plant.

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

Closeup view of a flower. Note the typical pointed loosestrife petals, pointed at the ends.

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

A side view of a flower.

Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)


Range map for Prairie Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)