Ludwigia peruviana

Common Name: Peruvian primrosewillow

Family: Onagraceae

Common Synonyms: Jussiaea peruviana

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8a-11

Growth Habit: Shrub

Origin: South America

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen available vouchered in 1913

IFAS Assessment:

• North: Not Assessed
• Central: Not Assessed
• South: Not Assessed

Description

Peruvian primerosewillow is a perennial (sometimes deciduous) shrub that favors wetlands and wet ruderal areas such as roadside ditches. Plants have pubescent stems when young. The leaves are alternate and hairy. The flowers are showy, bright yellow and borne solitary with four petals.

Habitat

Swamps, and lake and pond margins, marshes. Common, nearly throughout Florida.

Comments

Able to float and form floating 'islands', dispersing across water surface. Fast growing and produces thousands of sticky seeds, chokes waterways and dominates all aquatic vegetation within a short time. Has largest flower of all Ludwigia spp. in Florida.

Control Methods

• Manual: NA
• Chemical: Foliar (1% aquatic glyphosate). [NSW]
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

Dave's Garden. Plant Files: Peruvian water primrose, Ludwigia peruviana: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1352. Last accessed January 24, 2020.

IFAS. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. 2020. Ludwigia peruviana. http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant_directory/ludwigia_peruviana/. Last accessed January 24, 2020.