Purple Loosestrife
Explanation
There is a large clump of purple loosestrife near the bridge to Nieuwenhofpoortje. The purple loosestrife is a marsh plant that grows in the wild in wet meadows and along the banks of rivers and other bodies of water. Tapijn is a good place for it, as you can tell by its lush bloom. During spring, it begins to bloom, and, with its long, straight stems and reddish-purple flower spikes, it is a real eye-catcher. Insects love it as well. The plant is often visited by butterflies, bees, and bumblebees.
Relationship with humans
Why we do what we do
The purple loosestrife is a native wild plant that grows naturally along watersides and in wet meadows. The plant that grows here along the river Jeker did not come up there on its own. The CNME has managed this bank for a number of years and has sown it with a flower mixture for wet grasslands. It looks like it has been a success.
