Wednesday 27 May 2020


 I see Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) is starting to flower in the shade of glades and hedgerows. One of the Dead-nettle family it could be taken for a nettle by its leaves, until the inflorescence of deep red flowers appears. Like other Lamiums it has a two-lipped flower and bumblebees make the proverbial bee line for them.
 A number of the genus are considered garden worthy e.g. L. orvala [see entry dated 4th. May]. I would make a case for including Hedge Woundwort in the wilder margins of a nature garden. In fact it was one of the first wildflowers that I made a point of introducing to mine.
 No doubt it's too "weedy" for a feature plant (and it can spread rapidly) but a patch of them is an attractive sight. More importantly if you plant S. sylvatica the bees will come.