“The name “Lysimachia” literally means “to release from strife,” referring to the ancient tradition of attaching dried loosestrife plants to harnessed animals for it’s calming effect (the plant repels flies and other biting insects that might otherwise torment them” From Wildflowers & Plant Communities
Not to be outdone, I thought it might be a good idea for me to take stems of this plant and put it in my farm hat when I was outside in the garden or doing yard work. Does it work? The jury is still out. It’s possible it’s not as calming for me because I’m not a cow.
Alternate Name: Whorled Yellow Loosestrife, Prairie Loosestrife Size: 1-3' tall Family: Primulaceae (Primrose Family) Habitat: Full sun, in moist or sometimes loamy soils. Identification: "very narrow, stiff leaves arranged in a whorl, and slightly toothed, yellow flowers from leaf axils. Delicate, yellow, stalked, star-like flowers rise from the axils of whorled leaves." From wildflower.org Blooms July-August Uses: Colonists fed the plant to oxen so that they would work together peacefully, dried plants were burned in houses to produce smoke to keep biting insects and snakes away.
