Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) is best known for its unpleasant smell that it produces, the smell is often more obvious once the flower has been crushed.
The magenta flowers are on show between June to October and are pollinated by bees throughout these months. The stem is hairy with whorls of bright pink / magenta coloured flowers that have a distinctive white marking on the lower petal or ‘lip’ and a ‘hood’. The leaves are heart shaped with toothed edges and are dark green in colour.
Hedge Woundwort prefers to grow in damp / moist conditions and where the soil is relatively fertile, light shade and the occasional disturbed land are also needed for this plant to thrive. It is often found on verges, along the hedge banks and river banks. This plant’s main pollinators are the Bronze Shield Bug and Bees.
Height: Up to 80cm
Flowering Time: June to Oct
Preferred Conditions: This plant prefers to grow in moist tertile soil with light shade, but will mostly be found in grass verges, hedgebanks and riverbanks.
