Data from: Lythrum salicaria common garden under Neogalerucella herbivory

We transplanted1088 seedlings of the invasive perennial
plant Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), from 136 maternal
families sourced from 17 populations in the region around Ottawa,
Canada, into a common garden containing 4 plots. The 17
populations differed in their prior exposure to the biocontrol agent
Neogalerucella spp. leaf beetles (naïve = no prior exposure; recent =
secondary colonization, ~5-15 years; release = sites of biocontrol
release, ~20 years ago). Plants were planted in a wetland containing other
Lythrum plants and experienced ambient (but significant)
herbivory by Neogalerucella spp. leaf beetles. We
measured herbivory, plant size and biomass over
a period of 3.5 years; see the publication for more details. This
experiment used the same seed material as a previously published
greenhouse study by Stastny & Sargent 2017 (see below). Additional
datasets, such as the proportion and phenology of flowering individuals,
leaf size, stem and meristem numbers, etc., are available upon
request.