Isanthus
Trichostema
Bugles (Ajuga
reptans). This is a popular groundcover
at garden centers, usually in varieties with bronze or
variegated leaves. The original green-leaved version
is thoroughly naturalized here; it persists in old
plantings for decades, but it also pops up on its own,
especially at the edge of an open woodland. The common
form is blue; there is also a much rarer lavender
form.
Wood Sage (Teucrium canadense).
A stately member of the mint family, whose straight
and tall spikes would not be out of place in a formal
perennial garden. It blooms in the middle of the
summer with tall spikes of pale lavender or pinkish
flowers held above the leaves. The leaves are narrowly
oval, with shallow teeth
Scutellaria
Marrubium
Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache
scrophulariifolia). Not a terribly common
plant around here; this patch was growing in a
clearing in Scott, where it was blooming in late
August. The flowers are irresistibly attractive to
butterflies. The leaves have a noticeable anise scent,
not as strong as but very much like the scent of its
more commonly cultivated cousin, Anise Hyssop (A.
foeniculum). The two species are very similar;
the most obvious difference is in the length of the
flower spikes, which in A foeniculum are
usually not much longer than your thumb, but in this
species can easily exceed your longest finger.
Meehania
Catnip (Nepeta cataria). This
is probably your cat’s favorite herb, but it seems to
have almost the same intensely euphoric effect on
little white butterflies, to judge by the swirling
masses of them that were visiting this plant. It was
blooming in late July at the edge of an overgrown
gravel drive in Scott Township. A tisane can be made
from the leaves, but your cat will probably drink it
before you get a chance at it.
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea).
Ground Ivy, Creeping Charlie, or Gill-Over-the-Ground
is a foreign invader, and for grass purists it’s a
hated broadleaf weed. It is, however, easy to get
along with. It smells minty fresh when you mow it, and
it produces these stunningly beautiful flowers in the
spring.
Heal-All
(Prunella vulgaris). Heal-All, or
Self-Heal, is everywhere; it tolerates a good deal of
mowing, and seems to be indifferent to sun or shade,
so it can establish itself in urban lawns as easily as
at the edge of the woods. The color of the flowers is
variable from deep purple to (rarely) pure white,
including bicolors. The blooming season is very long,
beginning in late spring and lasting into the fall.
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana).
Also known as False Dragonhead, referring to its
resemblance to a snapdragon. The name “Obedient Plant”
describes a property that fascinates children, and any
adults who are not too jaded to admit to being
fascinated. If you push one of the individual flowers
to the left or right, it will stay in that position.
You can arrange all the flowers artistically on the
stem, and they will stay right where you put them. You
might almost think the plant had been specially bred
by lazy florists.
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca).
Easily distinguished from anything similar by the
foamy appearance of the flowers, which have puffy
tufts of hair on their upper lips. “Motherwort” is so
named because it was used by herbalists for what have
traditionally been called “female difficulties.” It
blooms in the early and middle summer, and especially
likes a shady spot in thick growth at the edge of the
woods.
Purple
Archangel (Lamium purpureum). Also
known as Purple Dead-Nettle. This beautiful little
flower grows everywhere along the street in the city.
It starts blooming quite early, sometimes before
winter is over, and by the end of April is in full
flower. The whole plant is tiny, and the flowers would
be inconspicuous, except that the upper leaves are
various shades of purple or dark pink, setting off the
pale pink flowers beautifully.
Yellow
Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon). A
European plant often cultivated here as a ground
cover, but increasingly escaping into the wild. It is
also commonly placed in the genus Lamiastrum, or
“False Lamium.” So it is classified in the USDA PLANTS
database, which records it as found in the wild in
Pennsylvania. Both cultivated varieties and escapes
often have variegated leaves.
Spotted Henbit (Lamium maculatum). A popular garden groundcover frequently found in the wild around Pittsburgh. The forms around here usually have a white blotch in the middle of each leaf, which makes identification easy. There are many common names for this plant; Purple Dragon is another, and the flowers do look like little dragon heads if you have the kind of imagination that sees dragon heads in little purple flowers.
Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina).
The fleshy soft, hairy leaves delight children and any
adult not too far gone to take pleasure in simple
tactile sensations. The purple flowers make a gorgeous
contrast to the whitish hairs of the leaves and stems,
but appear only for a relatively short time. This is a
garden favorite that seeds itself liberally: once you
plant Lamb’s Ears, you have them forever, and they pop
up in unexpected places.
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).
A native plant so popular in gardens that it may as
easily be a garden escape as a properly wild plant. It
can colonize recently disturbed ground very quickly;
after a few years, it seems to give way to slower but
more determined neighbors.
Bee-Balm (Monarda didyma). Monarda
is a fascinating example of parallel evolution: it
makes a display by clustering small ray-like flowers
together in one head so closely that the head is often
taken for a single flower. In other words, it adopts
the method of the Compositae. This particular species
is bright red, which is a very attractive color to
hummingbirds. It is otherwise very similar to Wild
Bergamot (M. fistulosa), which is rather more
common around here. This is a native perennial, but
much used as an ornamental planting, so that it is
difficult to distinguish truly wild populations from
garden escapes.
Blephilia
Hedeoma
Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare). A hairy and aromatic little mint that grows fuzzy heads of pink flowers. The aroma is a little like basil and a lot like skunk. The plants seem to like moist areas, including a shady lawn if the mower doesn’t reach them too often.
Lemon
Balm (Melissa officinaliis). A
delightful lemon-flavored mint often planted in herb
gardens, from which it immediately begins plotting its
escape. The lemon scent (it makes a good herbal tea)
and fuzzy stem and leaves are characteristic.
Cream-colored buds open into typical white mint
flowers in rows of bracts, and bees love them; in
fact, the generic name means “bee” in Greek.
Pycnanthemum
Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus).
Bugleweed is common at the edges of ponds, often
dangling over the water. The leaves often have red
veins, and the younger leaves may be red-tinted,
especially on the bottom. The little white or pinkish
flowers are in tight whorls in the leaf axils.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata).
You could look at spearmint as an invasive weed, but
it gives us so much in return for the space it takes
that it’s a hard weed to resent. Spearmint spreads
mainly by runners, forming large, dense patches. Its
scent and flavor are recognizable at once. It blooms
with pleasant spikes of little white flowers in
terminal spikes; if you look at the flowers closely,
you will notice pink lines, especially on upper lip
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita).
If nothing else, the scent and flavor of the leaves
are enough to identify the plant. It shows a strong
preference for damp locations, although it will grow
almost anywhere you plant it. It seldom produces
viable seed, but it nevertheless makes a nuisance of
itself in some parts of the country. Around here it is
only an occasional tasty volunteer.
Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens).
A strong and flavorful mint, similar in scent and
taste to Spearmint (M. spicata). The flower
spikes are the most distinguishing feature: flowers
bloom in dense cylindrical spikes, like green fingers,
rather than the looser interrupted spikes of
Spearmint. Apple Mint grows in sunny waste places
Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis).
A big, sloppy mint that likes to grow in the deep
woods, with huge leaves (by mint-family standards) and
panicles of bizarre yellowish flowers with long
projecting stamens. The flowers look like little
dragons, and well repay a close look, perhaps with a
glass. Only a few of the flowers are open at any one
time; the rest are either still in bud or shriveling
on the stem, adding to the general appearance of
slovenliness. The scent is like cheap artificial lemon
perfume.