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Lamiaceae
Wood Betony
Stachys officinalis
Surprise, magical protection, ancient remedy.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Stachys
- Native to
- Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Betony was the most magical plant of medieval Europe—Anglo-Saxon herbals listed it as a cure for at least 47 different ailments, and it was planted in every churchyard as protection against evil spirits.
- The Roman naturalist Antonius Musa devoted an entire book to betony in the 1st century CE, calling it 'a herb sufficient to cure all the maladies of mankind.'
- Old English saying: 'Sell your coat and buy betony'—a reminder that the herb was worth its weight in gold to medieval families.
- The deep magenta-purple flower spikes attract bumblebees more than any other color in the cottage garden—they look like felted ice-cream cones tipped with grape.
- Despite its medieval reputation, modern herbalism mostly ignores betony—it's now grown almost entirely as an ornamental for its tidy form, deer resistance, and reliable summer bloom.
Color meanings
0
surprise
1
magical protection
2
ancient remedy