HISPID HEDGE NETTLE
Stachys hispida
MINT FAMILY (Lamiaceae)
Identification
- Flowering time June-August
- Square stems with hairs mostly on the angled edges, hairless on flat faces
- Whorls of pinkish purple trumpet shaped flowers with darker purple spots inside lower lip
- Leaves opposite, serrated, and petiolate
This native perennial prefers moist areas such as floodplains, pond edges, and woodland edges. Its pinkish-purple flowers are trumpet shaped, with darker purple spots on inside the lower lip, and are arranged in whorls around the stem (A, B). A key identifying characteristic is its square stem with hairs mostly present at the angled edges of the stem, while the flat sides are mostly smooth (C). Its serrated leaves are petiolate (has a stalk connecting leaf to the stem) and are arranged oppositely on the stem (D).
Common in the Fontenelle Floodplain and the banks of the Missouri River at the end of Child’s Hollow. This species is only known in Nebraska at Fontenelle Forest and in Thurston County.
This species is often confused with Hairy hedge nettle (Stachys pilosa). Hairy hedge nettle can be distinguished by its stems, which are hairy on both the angles and faces, and its leaves, which are nearly sessile (attached directly to the stem, without a petiole).
All photos courtesy of Drew Granville.