Bugleweed, Virginia water horehound
Lycopus virginicus

Family: Lamiaceae or Labiatae

What it is like

Lycopus virginicus is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Low damp shady ground in rich moist soils.

Eastern N. America - New York and Wisconsin south to Georgia and Texas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - cooked.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 3

Bugleweed has sedative properties and is used in modern herbalism principally to treat an overactive thyroid gland and the racing heartbeat that often accompanies this condition. The whole plant is used as an astringent, hypoglycaemic, mild narcotic and mild sedative. It also slows and strengthens heart contractions. The plant has been shown to be of value in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, it is also used in the treatment of coughs, bleeding from the lungs and consumption, excessive menstruation etc. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women or patients with hypothyroidism. The plant is harvested as flowering begins and can be use fresh or dried, in an infusion or as a tincture. The root has been chewed, a portion swallowed and the rest applied externally in the treatment of snakebites. Current uses are predominantly for increased activity of the thyroid gland and for premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as breast pain . The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Lycopus for nervousness and premenstrual syndrome.

Antianxiety: Helps relieve anxiety. See also Nervine and Sedative.

Antidandruff: Treats dandruff.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Cardiac: Used in the treatment of heart problems.

Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.

Narcotic: Relieves pain, induces drowsiness and gives a sense of well-being.

Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.

Other

Rating: 0

How it is grown

Tolerates most soil types so long as they are wet. Succeeds in full sun or in partial shade, in damp meadows or in wet places by ponds or streams.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Best place to grow: Bog Garden; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Known to cause the enlargement of the thyroid gland. Avoid in patients with thyroid disease or given concomitantly with thyroid therapy. Avoid during pregnancy .

Its other names

Local names

Sweet Bugle, Water Bugle, Virginia Water Horehound, Gypsywort

Synonyms

Euhemus officinalis. Euhemus sylvaticus. Lycopus macrophyllus