Scientific Name:
Betonica officinalis
'Hummelo' ( syn.
Stachys officinalis
)
Pronunciation:
beh-TOH-ni-kah oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss
Common Name:
alpine betony, wood betony
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves mostly basal (opposite on the flowering stem), most blades ovate, margins scalloped, puckered with prominent veins on the lower surface, most 4-18cm long x 2-12cm wide; florets purple, about 2cm wide, in whorls above foliage on a green peduncle in summer.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa, Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Group or mass planting, Medicinal plant, Perennial border, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to S. macrantha.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Oblong, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Ciliate, Crenate
Inflorescence Type:
Verticillaster, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Violet, Pink
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets" that are enclosed in a persistent calyx
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
