A tall, (to 1.5 m high) herb with an unbranched stem except for branches of the terminal inflorescence. The leaves, except for the very lowest, are in whorls of 3 to 4. These leaves are narrowly ovate, without distinct teeth, but with a slightly wavy margin. The petioles are short and some leaves may appear sessile. The flowers are about 1.5 cm across and bright yellow. Their stalks (pedicels) are 1 cm or less, which distinguishes them from L. ciliata, which has longer flower stalks (2 to 4 cm).

Photos of the whole plant in habitat, showing leaves as well as flowers

Lysimachia vulgaris is a marginal plant and thrives in wet peaty soil beside rivers, lakes and in other marshy places. 

In flower during July, August and September.

A semi-evergreen perennial spreading vegetatively by very long thin rhizomes to form large colonies in permanently wet places.

A rather localised distribution in Britain with most records coming from the north and west plus East Anglia.

Probably rare as a native in Leicestershire and Rutland, but often planted or escaped form cultivation.

It was on the 2011 VC55 Rare Plant Register (Jeeves, 2011) but is not on the current RPR (Hall & Woodward, 2022); it is listed as 'data deficient' because it is not clear whether records are of introduced/escaped plants or natives.