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Creeping Primrose

Ludwigia repens

Creeping Primrose Locations in North America
Creeping Primrose Locations in Southeast US
creeping primrose


USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Creeping Primrose?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Elliptical shaped
  • 0.35-1.57 inches long
  • 0.08-0.8 inches wide
  • Leaf stalk 0.12-0.98 inches long

Flowers:

  • 4 sepals, 0.09-0.17 inches long
  • Petals 0.16-0.2 inches long
  • Petals tend to disappear
  • 4 stamen
  • Fleshy
  • 4 lobes
  • Lobes opposite to the petals

Fruit:

  • Short cylindrical shape
  • 0.13-0.3 inches long
  • 0.07-0.18 inches thick

Seeds:

  • Several indistinct rows
  • About 0.03 inches long

Stem:

  • Up to 1.75 feet long

Roots:

  • Creeping
  • Rooting at nodes

Where Does it Grow?

Creeping primrose can be found along streams, around ponds, in shallow water (floating on the surface), and wet mud on the edge of water bodies.

Pros and Cons of Creeping Primrose

Ducks and other waterfowl will consume the seeds of water primrose. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

How to Manage This Plant
Plant Glossary

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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