The violet-purple flowers are arranged in whorls
equally spaced on stiff stems that are 18 inches
tall. The individual flowers are cylindrical, up
to 1 inch long with 2 lipped limbs. The upper
lip is usually concave and 2 lobed while the
lower lip is 3 lobed.
Late spring to early summer.
Stachys is a member of the mint family
consequently, the stems of this species are 4 angled.
The leaves are 2˝-3˝ inches long. The stem leaves are
similar in shape, but are smaller and sessile. The
leaves and stems are hairy and the leaves have a heavy
textured wrinkled appearance.
'Alba' - White flowers
'Robusta' - Rosy pink flowers and is considered to have
the richest flower color.
'Rosea' - Rose-red flowers, similar to the species.
'Violacea' - Dark violet flowers. 'Superba' is very similar.
Stachys is from the Greek word stachus, meaning
spike and refers to the pointed inflorescences.
