Spotted dead nettle
Lamium maculatum
Family: Lamiaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems are 30-50 cm tall. They have some white hairs and are hollow. The leaves are 3-5 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. They are green with blue-silver mottling. The flowers are pink.
Where it is found
It is a Mediterranean plant. It grows on hill tops and valleys between 2,400-2,700 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Balkans, Bosnia, China, Europe, Hungary, Luxembourg, North America, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Türkiye
How it is used for food
The young shoots are cooked as a vegetable. The flowers are sucked for their nectar. The leaves and flowers are used in salads, stews and soups. They are also finely chopped and added to mashed potatoes. The leaves and flowers are used for herbal teas.
Edible parts
Shoots, flowers - nectar, flowers, leaves
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Benli balicak, Chupamieles, Lisasta mrtva kopriva, Mamatetas, Pjegava mrtva kopriva