Betony

Stachys officinalis

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Lamiales

Family:

Lamiaceae (Dead-nettle)

Also in this family:

Bifid Hemp-nettle, Black Horehound, Bugle, Common Hemp-nettle, Corn Mint, Cut-leaved Dead-nettle, Garden Catmint, Ground Ivy, Gypsywort, Hedge Woundwort, Lemon Balm, Marsh Woundwort, Oregano, Peppermint, Red Dead-nettle, Rosemary, Selfheal, Skullcap, Spearmint, Spotted Dead-nettle, Variegated Yellow Archangel, Water Mint, White Dead-nettle, Wild Basil, Wild Thyme, Wood Sage

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Maximum Size:

50 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Farmland, grassland, heathland, woodland.

Flower:

Pink, 5 petals

Dense pink to purple flower spike.

Fruit:

After the flowers have died off, each flower leaves behind four 3-sided, smooth, brown nutlets at the bottom of the calyx.

Leaves:

Bluntly toothed, oval, stalked leaves, mostly in basal rosettes. Some paired leaves along the stem.

Aroma:

Unpleasant smelling.

Other Names:

Bishop's Wort, Bishopswort, Common Hedgenettle, Purple Betony, Wood Betony, Woundwort.

Frequency (UK):

Occasionally seen

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map