Were you one of those children who sucked on the flowers of the white deadnettle because they have such a delicious, honey-like nectar? Even if not, you should take a look at the following profile with all the facts worth knowing about this plant.
What is the white deadnettle and where does it occur?
The white deadnettle (Lamium album) belongs to the mint family and is native to Europe and northern Asia. It grows in nutrient-rich, moist soil and has a flowering period from May to September. Aside from its edible nature, it is also known for its healing properties.
Nothing but mere facts
- Plant family: Mint family
- Botanical name: Lamium album
- Home: Europe, North Asia
- Occurrence: Gardens, meadows, forest edges, roadsides, bushes
- Growth: upright, herbaceous
- Leaves: heart-shaped to egg-shaped, hairy, coarsely toothed
- Flowering period: May to September
- Flowers: lip blossoms, whorled, white
- Fruits: four-part split fruits
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Soil: nutrient-rich, moist
- Special features: edible, medicinal
- Effect: antibacterial, blood purifying, diuretic, expectorant, antispasmodic
Many names for this nitrogen indicator
The white dead nettle is known under the other names flower nettle, bee sucker, cuckoo nettle and white nettle. In contrast to its relatives, it is perennial. As a nitrogen indicator, it prefers to grow on nutrient-rich soils in wild meadows, in moist ditches and in bushes. It can be found in Europe up to altitudes of 2,000 m.
You can use this perennial plant
Fancy something new on the menu? How about the white deadnettle? It is edible and extremely rich in minerals and trace elements. It also has healing powers. For example, it can be used for:
- cough
- Fever
- Colds
- Bladder problems
- White River
- Gastrointestinal problems
You can recognize it based on these external features
The white deadnettle has a multi-branched rootstock and square stems on the surface. It grows between 20 and 80 cm high. Its leaves are arranged oppositely, stalked and, like the stems, hairy. They grow up to 7 cm long, are heart-shaped to egg-shaped and coarsely toothed at the edge.
The flowers form in May. They grow in false whorls and bloom until September. The individual labiate flowers are hermaphrodite, fivefold and two-lipped. The curved upper lip towers over the lower lip. Overall, the white crown is between 2 and 2.5 cm long. A honey-like scent emanates from the flowers.
Tip
White dead nettles are not only beautiful in the open, wild nature. They are also suitable for planting in perennial beds. There, for example, they look fantastic next to cranesbills, astilbes, ferns and hostas.
