Hairy wood-mint or hairy pagoda plant
Blephilia hirsuta

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

Blephilia hirsuta is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.7 m (2ft 4in) by 0.4 m (1ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.7

Where it is found

Occurs in rich, moist, shady woods, slopes and valleys. Habitats include mesic deciduous woodlands, areas alongwoodland paths, woodland borders, woodland openings, limestone glades, and thickets.

Eastern and northcentral United States

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Canada: southern Quebec and Ontario. Eastern United States, including Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Leaves. Minty leaves eaten raw and used in teas. The fresh or dried leaves are used for tea.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

A strong scented plant that may act as an aromatic pest confuser reducing their ability to find other nearby crops. A good plant for food forests, wild, native plant or open woodland gardens.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

An herbaceous perennial of the mint family. Hairy wood mint prefers rich moist to mesic soil in hardwood forests, along streams and rivers, in forest openings and thickets underlain by limestone, and is occasionally found near wetlands. A rich loamy soil with decaying leaf mold is ideal. It likes partial sun or light shade. Forests with infrequent, low-intensity disturbances (i.e., gap dynamics) are ideal. This species also grows in soil that is somewhat rocky. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. Fibrous shallow roots. Bloom Time: May to September (Northern Hemisphere). Flower are Showy and the leaf is fragrant.

Propagating it: Propagate by division or by Seed

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-7

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Hairy wood-mint, hairy pagoda plant, Cherokee mint

Synonyms

B. brevipes Raf. B. hirsuta f. albiflora House. B. hirsuta var. glabra Fernald. B. hirsuta var. hirsuta. B. lanceolata Raf. B. nepetoides Raf. Monarda hirsuta Pursh.