Appearance
"L. album" is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 50–100 cm tall, with green, four-angled stems. The leaves are 3–8 cm long and 2–5 cm broad, triangular with a rounded base, softly hairy, and with a serrated margin and a petiole up to 5 cm long; like many other members of the Lamiaceae, they appear superficially similar to those of the Stinging nettle but do not sting, hence the common name "dead-nettle". The flowers are white, produced in whorls on the upper part of the stem, the individual flowers 1.5–2.5 cm long. The flowers are visited by many types of insects, but mostly by bees.
Distribution
"L. album" is native to Eurasia, from Ireland in the West to Japan in the East. It occurs as two subspecies, subsp. "album" in the western range and subsp. "barbatum" in the far east of mainland Asia and in Japan. It is common in England, rare in the west, and in north Scotland and introduced in eastern Ireland.
Habitat
In the British Isles "L. album" is found on roadsides, around hedges, and in waste-places.
Uses
"L. album" was introduced to North America, where it is widely naturalized. The young leaves are edible, and can be used in salads or cooked as a vegetable.Bees, especially bumble bees are attracted to the flowers which are a good source of early nectar and pollen, hence the plant is sometimes called the bee nettle....hieroglyph snipped...
Cultural
A distillation of the flowers is reputed "to make the heart merry, to make a good colour in the face, and to make the vital spirits more fresh and lively."References:
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