Common Names
Wood Betony

Botanical Name
Stachys officinalis

Plant Family
Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Native Range
England and Wales

Life Cycle
Perennial

Hardiness Zone
5-9

Habit
A pretty garden plant inspiring whimsy, this is another plant of the fairies. Spires of pink flowers rise from a mound of slightly crinkled glossy leaves. Long-lived purple flowers are a favourite of bees & butterflies. Grows 1-2 ft tall. Flowers July to September. 

The plants stay fairly small and in a tidy mound, rising to 2ft tall and 1ft wide in bloom.

Sun/Soil
A sunny position with moderately fertile soil is preferable. Naturally at home in dry grasslands and meadows the plants don't seem to require much water throughout the season. 

Germination/Sowing
Seeds do best started in flats indoors in early spring. Germination is spotty, a 50% germination rate is common.

Growing/Care
Easy to care for. Does not self-seed or spread. Flower stalks can be cut back after blooming to keep plants tidy.

Harvesting
The aerial parts can be harvested in bloom. The leaves become much more medicinally potent when the plants are grown in full sun, with dry conditions, and harvested once the plants are in flowers.

Culinary Uses
None known.

Medicinal Uses
Wood Betony is a herb of ancient times (note the species name 'officinalis') and was once considered a 'cure all'.

Wood Betony is my go-to for acute anxiety, and more than any other herb I've found it helps one to step out of the spin cycle of debilitating panic episodes. Though not really a sedating herb, Wood Betony is incredibly grounding. She meets you where you are at, and holds your hand there until you get steady.

Even simply chewing on a leaf one can feel their energy sinking back into their body and their feet on the earth once again. She breaks the cycle of anxious thoughts like a wave gently breaking on a soft sandy beach. Also incredible for migraines and tension headaches.

Wood Betony is also useful as a mild digestive tonic and liver herb. Though not strongly aromatic like other Mint Family plants, it's essential oils, bitter and astringent constituents help to gently stimulate appetite, support the digestive process, and tonify the GI tract.

Themes
Attracts Pollinators, Woodland Garden, Deer Resistant, Apothecary Garden, Low Maintenance, Drought Tolerant, Container Garden.