Hedge Woundwort

Did you know

• The 17th-century herbalist John Gerard recorded using woundwort leaves as a poultice to successfully stop bleeding from deep cuts.
• Crushed leaves have an antiseptic quality and were used as a field dressing by soldiers before modern medicine.
• The dark maroon flowers have white markings that guide bumblebees to the nectar hidden inside the hooded petals.
• Hedge woundwort spreads aggressively via underground rhizomes, forming dense patches in shaded hedgerows.
• Despite its medicinal history, the strong musty scent of the foliage led some to call it the 'most disagreeable of mints.'

Color meanings

Uses

• traditional wound healing
• wildlife gardens
• shade ground cover
• herbal medicine history