Scientific Note: Garden Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris, Primulaceae), an Emerging Invasive Plant Species of Riparian Corridors in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Lysimachia vulgaris (garden loosestrife, Primulaceae) is an herbaceous perennial native to Europe that has been identified as an aggressive invasive species in parts of North America. The status of the species in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, however, is poorly determined. Using recent field observations (from iNaturalist, iMapInvasives, and EDDMapS records) we here report localized incursions of L. vulgaris in the Susquehanna River Valley of central Pennsylvania, along with notes on its ecology, threats to native plant communities, and broader distribution in the state.