Simon says: "Meet the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) or in Hebrew: שנית גדולה (Shanit Gedola)"

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The purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

August is the driest & hottest month in Israel, so vibrant spring wildflowers have already dried up. However, this tall perennial (1–3 metres high) can still be found along streams & springs from the Golan & Hula Valley down through the the coastal plain.
You'll find it blooming from June > November; it has 5–7 pinky-purple petals each with a dark stripe running down the centre.
One plant can produce up to 2.7 million sticky seeds annually which are dispersed by birds, helping it spread naturally.

It has extensive roots sending out 30–50 shoots, & even root fragments can regrow into new plants!

💊 Ancient Medicine
Purple loosestrife has a long history as a medicinal plant in European traditional medicine; uses included treating diarrhoea & dysentery plus skin & mucosal infections - ie diseases caused by pathogens that invade or the moist linings of our bodies such as mouth, respiratory tract & gastrointestinal tract.
Modern research has shown it it contains polyphenols, tannins & flavonoids with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial & antidiabetic activities .

Today it's even a pharmacopoeial plant in the European Pharmacopoeia - though its medicinal popularity has faded since the rise of synthetic drugs.

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