Motherwort

Description

Open-pollinated. Hardy perennial of the mint family grows 2–4′ with dull green leaves having a pungent odor and rather bitter taste. Good bee plant. Pick flowering tops for tea or herbal tincture. Believed to strengthen the heart muscle and relieve nervous tension. Used by women during life transitions. Readily self-sows even in relatively poor soil; pull up unwanted first-year basal rosettes before they put out their spiky flower stalk the second year. Zone 3.  Especially attractive to pollinators.