Wikimedia Commons
Lamiaceae
Motherwort
Leonurus cardiaca
Maternal protection and heart healing.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Leonurus
- Native to
- Central Asia, Europe
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- herbaceous
- Height
- 2-4 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- well-drained, average
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The genus name Leonurus means 'lion's tail,' referring to the shape of the flower spikes.
- Its species name 'cardiaca' means 'of the heart,' as it has been used since ancient times to treat heart palpitations.
- In Chinese medicine, a related species called yi mu cao has been used for over 2,000 years for women's health.
- The prickly seed heads can cling to animal fur and clothing, helping the plant spread to new areas.
- Nicholas Culpeper, the famous 17th-century herbalist, wrote that there was 'no better herb to drive melancholy vapours from the heart.'
Color meanings
0
motherly love
1
courage of the heart
2
emotional healing