Description

This member of the mint family is one of many hedgenettles of the Genus Stachys found in California. Unlike true nettles, it does not sting. It grows in moist areas as a patch of upright stems with opposite, silvery gray leaves. The stems are topped with a spike of many white flowers. The stems, leaves and flower spikes are covered with hairs and downy webbing, lending the plant a soft appearance. The plant will spread by rhizome if provided with adequate moisture. The vigorous growth can be constrained by limiting the area of water application. White hedgenettle will go dormant during the winter and put out numerous rhizomes during the spring.