Ludwigia Species, Mexican Primrose Willow, Shrubby Water Primrose

Other common names for the shrubby water primrose, Mexican primrose willow (Ludwigia octovalvis) include false loosestrife, narrow-leaf w...Read Moreater primrose, West Indian evening primrose and seedbox. It is native to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas and the Virgin Islands. It grows in wet soils or the mud of ditches, fields and rice fields, as well as the edges of marshes, ponds and streams. The plants are often found in large colonies. It has a taproot and long lateral roots that run just under the soil surface.

It is an upright growing, shrubby perennial that has a round stem which is usually much branched. The lower stems are often woody with the upper stems being herbaceous. The short stalked, alternating leaves can be up to 6 inches long and 1 5/8 inches wide and are narrowed at both ends. The shrubby water primerose is a host plant for the water-primrose hornworm moth. The 1 5/8 to 2 inch, bright yellow, 4-petaled, 4-sepaled, stalked blooms appear from July through November from the upper leaf axils. The blooms are bisexual. The fruit are long, slender, erect, cylindrical, 4-sided, several ribbed pods that are up to 2 inches long. They are quite lovely and are often used in flower arrangements. These pods contain many seeds. The seeds are rounded, brown and shiny and are usually dispersed by water movement and ducks. The root and stem are said to promote diuresis, reduce fever and lower the blood pressure.

A very attractive marginal for pond background. Blooms all warm weather. Each petal is heart shaped. The leaves are slender and smooth...Read More. The stems are reddish. The entire plant is very attractive and draws favorable comments. On my lily pond it is forming a background on the east side of the pond, the other is framed by water Iris.