Leonurus quinquelobatus ex. Cally Gardens Five-bladed Motherwort
40 seeds per packet.
This plant came to us as Leonurus cardiaca with the possibility that it was a form of it but we had our doubts and now we have finally found that its true identity is Leonurus quinquelobatus. Native to Eurasia, it is found from Sakhalin, Russia and west to Italy and central Europe. This member of the Mint family has a long history of medicinal use. It differs from Leonurus cardiaca in being a much more robust plant with a purple flush to the foliage later in the year, while its lower leaves have five distinctive lobes with the backs covered in soft hairs. Whorls of small, sessile, pink-lilac flowers with tubular, two-lipped corollas bloom from July to September in rosettes nestled in the leaf axils. Leave the seed heads for winter interest. Height 1 metre. Part sun in moisture retentive soil.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow from March to June. Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots to grow on.