Motherwort

Plant Info

Also known as:
Scientific name:	Leonurus cardiaca
Family:	Mint (Lamiaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	Asia
Habitat:	sun or shade; wet or dry, woods, fields, disturbed soil
Bloom season:	summer
Plant height:	2 to 4 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Clusters of pink flowers surround the stem at the leaf joints in the upper part of the plant. Individual flowers are tubular, about 1/3-inch long with a very hairy upper lip. The lower lip is a darker purplish color, narrow and folds up lengthwise.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves vary in size and shape as they ascend the main stem. The lower leaves are deeply lobed in 3 parts with large teeth and often resemble maple leaves. They can be up to 5 inches long and nearly as wide, on long leaf stems. They are somewhat hairy. They progressively become smaller, the lobes and teeth less deep; at the top of the plant they are usually narrow, unlobed with a few widely spaced teeth. Like all members of the Mint family, attachment is opposite and the main stem is square.

Notes:

Motherwort tends to grow in clusters. I see it growing mostly at the edges of woods.

More photos

• a small group of Motherwort
• a cluster of Motherwort 

More pink wildflowers. Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN and Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Coon Rapids, MN, June 2006 and July 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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