Stachys floridana
Florida hedgenettle
Overview
Stachys floridana is a spreading perennial in the mint family, 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall, that grows from slender white rhizomes tipped with crisp, segmented tubers resembling a rattlesnake rattle. The square stems bear opposite, oblong to triangular leaves 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) long with scalloped margins and a soft, hairy surface. From March to June it produces whorls of small tubular flowers along the upper stem, each 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) long, pink to pale lavender with darker spotting on the lower lip. Bees and other small pollinators visit the two-lipped flowers. The plant spreads readily by its underground tubers, forming colonies that regrow from any fragment left in the soil, which makes it a persistent weed of lawns, beds, and crop fields across the southeastern United States. The white tubers are crisp and edible with a mild flavor and were eaten by Indigenous peoples and early settlers. Native to Florida and the Gulf states, it has expanded north and west with agriculture and the nursery trade. Cool, moist seasons favor its growth, and it goes largely dormant in summer heat.
Native Range
Native to the southeastern United States, centered on Florida and the Gulf Coastal Plain. It now ranges north along the Atlantic coast and west to Texas, spread in part through soil and nursery stock. It grows in moist, sandy or loamy ground, including woodland edges, lawns, gardens, and cultivated fields.Suggested Uses
Stachys floridana is rarely planted on purpose and is most familiar as a weed of southern lawns and gardens. The crisp white tubers are edible, eaten raw or pickled, with a mild, water-chestnut texture. In managed native plantings it can serve as a spring groundcover where its spread is acceptable.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from March to June, heaviest in mid spring during cool, moist weather. Whorls of small pink to lavender flowers open in sequence up the stem. Growth and bloom slow as summer heat arrives, when the top growth often dies back to the tubers.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink to lavender with darker spottingFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Stachys floridana grows in full sun to part shade on moist, sandy to loamy soils and tolerates a wide pH range. It needs no special care and in fact spreads faster than most gardeners want, returning from any tuber fragment left behind. Cool, moist autumn-through-spring weather drives its growth, and the plant retreats to its tubers during summer heat and drought. In lawns and beds it is managed by repeated removal and by limiting the movement of infested soil, since tillage that breaks up tubers only multiplies it. Mulching and hand-digging reduce stands over time, though complete removal is difficult. Where it is wanted, it asks for little beyond moderate moisture.Pruning
No formal pruning is needed. Top growth can be sheared back as it yellows in early summer when the plant enters dormancy. Digging and removing the white tubers is the main way to limit its spread rather than cutting the stems.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons