Bushy Seedbox

Ludwigia alternifolia

Pollinator Value

❄️ Winter Food Source: Persistent cubic seed capsules provide winter food for wetland birds. Genus-level avian diet records include Sora (20% occurrence), American Coot, Common Gallinule, and Wood Duck. The distinctive box-shaped capsules release seeds through an apical pore and persist into winter.
S57+S10

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: SE
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone
Rarity Notes: Critically imperiled in Ontario (S1) with a national rank of N1 in Canada. Globally secure (G5). Not SARA-listed. VASCAN excludes this species from Quebec. NatureServe lists it as native only to Ontario within Canada, with most Canadian occurrences in southwestern Ontario.
S22+S1+S26
Rarity Ranks: ON S1 – Critically Imperiled
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Seedbox inhabits wet sandy-peaty meadows, borders of swamps, floodplain openings, acidic seeps, and pond shores across eastern North America. In Ontario it is critically imperiled (S1), occurring primarily in southwestern counties in sandy, acidic wetlands. Associates include Cephalanthus occidentalis, Rhexia virginica, Hypericum gentianoides, and various sedges and rushes.
S7+S10+S22

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 8 bee associations (threshold=3)]

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No edible uses documented in ethnobotanical or foraging literature.
S28+S29