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Lamiaceae
Leonurus

not marked as a favorite taxon *Leonurus cardiaca Linnaeus. Common name: Motherwort, Lion's-tail. Phenology: May-Aug; Jul-Oct. Habitat: Roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas. Distribution: Native of c. Asia. Nelson (1993) reports the occurrence of this species in SC.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Eurasia

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, G, GrPl, Il, Mi, Mo3, NcTx, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WV; > Leonurus cardiaca L. ssp. cardiaca. Basionym: Leonurus cardiaca L. 1753

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Heliophily ⓘ: 6

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image #1 of Leonurus cardiaca© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Leonurus cardiaca© Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Douglas Goldman source CC-BY-NC | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Leonurus cardiaca© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Leonurus cardiaca© Arthur Haines | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Leonurus cardiaca© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Leonurus cardiaca© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #7 of Leonurus cardiaca© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect to ascending perennial of roadsides, pastures and other disturbed areas. Native of c. Asia.

Stems: Stems 1-several from crown, 4-angled and ridged, freely branched, sparsely hairy to smooth, sometimes with downward-pointing hairs on angles.

Leaves: Leaves opposite; petiolate; broadly oval in outline with wedge-shaped base; 2-4 in. long (upper leaves smaller and narrower); palmately divided into 3-5 sharp-pointed, toothed lobes. Leaves give off a slightly rank odor.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in axillary whorls, from mid-stem upward; white to light pink; about 1/3 in. long; bilaterally symmetric and tubular. The corolla tube opens to 2 lips, the upper one prominent, hood-like and densely hairy on the outside and the lower one 3-lobed and bearing purple spots. The green, tubular calyx has 5 lance-shaped teeth and is slightly hairy.

Fruits:

Comments:

Height: 2-4 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect to ascending perennial of roadsides, pastures and other disturbed areas. Native of c. Asia.

stems: Stems 1-several from crown, 4-angled and ridged, freely branched, sparsely hairy to smooth, sometimes with downward-pointing hairs on angles.

leaves: Leaves opposite; petiolate; broadly oval in outline with wedge-shaped base; 2-4 in. long (upper leaves smaller and narrower); palmately divided into 3-5 sharp-pointed, toothed lobes. Leaves give off a slightly rank odor.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in axillary whorls, from mid-stem upward; white to light pink; about 1/3 in. long; bilaterally symmetric and tubular. The corolla tube opens to 2 lips, the upper one prominent, hood-like and densely hairy on the outside and the lower one 3-lobed and bearing purple spots. The green, tubular calyx has 5 lance-shaped teeth and is slightly hairy.

fruits:

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: Asia



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