Plant DetailShow Menu

Stachys floridana

Phonetic Spelling
STAK-iss flor-ih-DAY-na
Description

Florida Betony is a perennial herb typically found in lawns, gardens, and landscapes.  It is native to the United States, where its true native range is probably limited to Florida, but it is known throughout the southeast as a common weed. It has been called wild artichoke, but it is not related to the artichoke.

The plant produces many seeds, but often reproduces by means of rhizomes and tubers. Small segments of rhizome can sprout into new plants or the tuber may be transported to a new area. It can be found in lawns and ornamentals, where it can be harder to control than in lawns. Weed control in ornamentals may require hand-pulling, with careful removal of all the tubers.

Florida Betony is a member of the mint family, which includes aromatic herbs or shrubs and some trees or vines. The plants are characterized by hairy, erect stems reaching 19 inches high that are square in cross-section with flowers in long clusters, heads, or interrupted whorls on the stem. The plant grows from a network of rhizomes with tubers. The distinctive pale-colored tuber is segmented in such a way that it resembles the rattle on the tail of a rattlesnake, hence the common name. The oppositely arranged leaves have blades up to 2 inches long. Flowers grow in clusters of 3 to 6 from the upper leaf axils. The tubular, hairy calyx of sepals has pointed lobes. The two-lipped corolla is up to a 1/2 inch long and white to pink with purple spots. The fruit is a schizocarp less than an inch long that splits in half.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It can be an aggressive weedy plant.

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#tuberous#high maintenance#fast growing#aggressive#rhizomes#perennial weeds#weed
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#tuberous#high maintenance#fast growing#aggressive#rhizomes#perennial weeds#weed
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Stachys
    Species:
    floridana
    Family:
    Lamiaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Florida
    Distribution:
    Southeastern United States
    Edibility:
    Tuber is edible and is said to have a pleasingly crunchy texture and a bland, slightly sweet taste.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Perennial
    Weed
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Dense
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Schizocarp
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    The fruit is a schizocarp less than an inch long that splits in half.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Spike
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Tubular
    Flower Petals:
    Colored Sepals
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Typically blooms from March to June. Flowers grow in clusters of 3 to 6 from the upper leaf axils. The tubular, hairy calyx of sepals has pointed lobes. The two-lipped corolla is up to a 1/2 inch long and white to pink with purple spots.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The leaves have blades up to 2 inches long.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Cross Section:
    Square
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    The plants are characterized by stems reaching 19 inches high with flowers in long clusters, heads, or interrupted whorls on the stem.
  • Landscape:
    Problems:
    Weedy