Pink-purple flowers form tiers along upright stems above opposite toothed leaves. This page uses Stachys palustris in the broad regional sense followed by Minnesota Wildflowers; some other floras separate native members of this group under Stachys pilosa.
Marsh Hedge Nettle flowers. Tap a gallery photograph to open the slideshow.
Family Lamiaceae · mint family
Life cycle Perennial
Blooms June–August
Height 1–3 feet
Habitat Damp meadows, wet fields, shorelines, and woodland edges
Common names
Marsh Hedge Nettle · Woundwort
Native status follows the regional, broad treatment of this species group.
Explore photographed sightings and their locations.
Opposite leaves have toothed edges and little or no leaf stalk. The square stem bears hairs on its flat surfaces as well as its corners. Flower whorls form a spike, with each flower showing a hooded upper lip and three-lobed lower lip.
Look in damp meadows, thickets, and woodland edges from early to late summer. Photograph a middle section of stem and its leaf attachments to help distinguish similar hedge nettles.
Hairy Hedge Nettle (Stachys hispida) generally has short-stalked leaves and stem hairs concentrated along the corners, with smooth flat surfaces. Look at several stem sections; flower markings alone are unreliable.
Several flowers form a whorl, and successive whorls build the terminal spike. A side photograph shows the spacing between tiers and the relationship of each flower to the leafy bracts below it.
DSCN2080, DSCN2082, and DSCN2085 show the same plant at Illinois Beach State Park. The leaf-and-stem view supports keeping those three photographs together here. The photographs are identified within the broad Marsh Hedge Nettle group, without assigning a variety.
Bumblebees, leaf-cutting bees and other bees visit for nectar or pollen. Watch how a visitor approaches the lower lip and passes beneath the hood. A close view can reveal activity hidden in a distant photograph.
The native North American Marsh Hedge Nettle group occurs in moist habitats across much of the continent. Its boundaries and scientific names vary among floras.
Regional records represented here
IL — the DSCN2080, DSCN2082, and DSCN2085 photographs were taken at Illinois Beach State Park. WI — the July 4 Scuppernong Prairie photographs. MN — documented by Minnesota Wildflowers.
These are selected regional records, not a complete state-range list. The iNaturalist link follows the name Stachys palustris; records assigned to Stachys pilosa may appear separately.
Observations show reported sightings; they do not define the plant’s complete native range.
Compare Marsh Hedge Nettle with Hairy Hedge Nettle in the wildflower guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.
