Stachys tenuifolia

Smooth Hedge-nettle is a showy, erect perennial in the mint family. Pink and white flowers bloom in a whorled formation during summer, attracting long-tongued bees. With ideal conditions they can get up to three feet tall but are often shorter. They are gorgeous in mass and would fit perfectly in a cottage garden. This plant has a rhizomatous root system, and tends to spread and colonize throughout an area, especially if roots have access to plenty of water. Although it can grow in full sun or full shade, more moisture is needed in relation to the amount of sunlight this plant receives. It does not want to dry out, and periods of dry soil without irrigation can irreversibly damage parts of the plant. Smooth Hedge-nettle would be happiest beside a pond or in a rain garden. Foliage is not palatable for most mammals, making it a deer resistant plant. When plants are young, it is a good idea to protect them as young deer may still try them.