Betony

How to recognise it

Growth habit

Perennial with a basal rosette and upright, little-branched stems of 30–60 cm.

Leaves

Rosette leaves oblong with a heart-shaped base, 5–10 cm, evenly scalloped and long-stalked. A few smaller, almost stalkless pairs on the stem.

Flowers

Magenta-pink to rose-red lipped flowers of about 1.5 cm in a dense, oval spike at the top, often with a separate whorl below; June to September.

Stem

Square, as in all members of the mint family, and roughly hairy.

Fruit

Four small brown nutlets per flower, held in the persistent calyx.

Look-alikes

Hedge woundwort has large, nettle-like stem leaves and darker purplish-red flowers in loose whorls. Marsh woundwort grows in wet places and has narrow leaves. Betony has most of its leaves in a basal rosette.

Flowering: June–September · Pruning: March and September

Why grow it?

• A rich source of nectar in July–August for bumblebees, bees and butterflies.
• A typical plant of flower-rich, nutrient-poor hay meadows: where it grows, the grassland is well managed.
• Long flowering from June to September, with a warm magenta-pink in a wild border.
• A compact plant that does not spread: suitable for small gardens too.
• A historic herb that grew in monastery and herb gardens for centuries.

Betony: where does it grow best?

• In the wild: unimproved grassland, hay meadows, heath edges, verges and open woodland edges, on dry to moist, nutrient-poor soil.
• In the garden: sun or light half shade, in a wildflower meadow, at the front of a border or along a hedge.
• Preferably poor, free-draining soil: sand, loam or light clay, slightly acid to chalky.
• On rich, fertilised soil it grows floppy and is crowded out by grasses.

Goes well with

• Common knapweed: Purple heads in the same poor meadow; together a magnet for butterflies.
• Harebell: Delicate blue bells on the same poor, sunny soil.
• Oxeye daisy: White flowers in June, before betony is at its best.
• Tormentil: Low, yellow flowers at the front, also on poor soil.
• Devil’s-bit scabious: Flowers in late summer and takes over from betony.

Betony: when and how to plant it?

1. Buy young plants from a native plant nursery, or seed of native origin. Never dig up plants from the wild.
2. Sow in September–November outdoors in a pot or tray: the seed needs a cold period and germinates in spring.
3. Plant in March–April or September–October, 25–30 cm apart, in groups of three to five.
4. In an existing meadow: clear small patches of bare soil and plant sturdy plug plants, so they are not swamped straight away.
5. Water during dry spells for the first few weeks; after that it is no longer needed.

Care

Watering

Only after planting. Established plants tolerate drought well.

Feeding

Do not feed: on poor soil it stays sturdy and flowers more.

Mowing

In a wildflower meadow, mow once in September and remove the cuttings.

Self-seeding

Leave some spikes standing until the seed is ripe; it will then self-seed gently.

Rejuvenating

After some years the centre of the clump may go bare; divide it in March.

Tip: Plant betony in small groups and give it space for the first two years: a 20 cm ring without grass around each plant makes all the difference.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: March and September.

When: Cut back old stems in March; mow meadows in September.

How:

• Leave the faded stems standing over winter: small insects overwinter in them.
• Cut them back in March to just above the new leaves.
• In a wildflower meadow: mow at 5–10 cm in September and remove the cuttings, so the soil stays poor.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow outdoors in autumn; it germinates in spring after a cold period. Usually flowers from the second year.

Division

In March–April or September, lift an old clump and split it into pieces with roots and a leaf rosette.

Betony: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• The flower stems die back; the rosette leaves often stay partly green in mild winters.
• Fully hardy to about −25 °C.
• The dry stems and calyces give shelter to small insects.

Diseases and pests

• Crowded out by grass: On rich soil grasses take over. Reduce fertility by removing cuttings and never feeding.
• Slugs: They eat the young rosettes in spring. Plant slightly larger plants in spring.
• Floppy stems: A sign of soil that is too rich or too much shade: choose a sunnier, poorer spot.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry late summers; usually harmless. An open, airy spot helps.

Through the year

• March: Cut back old stems. Divide clumps.
• April: Plant plugs into grassland.
• May: Rosettes grow; flower stems appear.
• June: First flowers.
• July: Full flower; lots of bumblebees.
• August: Flowering. The first seed ripens.
• September: Last flowers. Mow the meadow and remove the cuttings. Planting time.
• October: Sow in a pot outdoors. Planting time.
• November: Dormant; leave the stems standing.
• December: Dormant.

Did you know?

• According to the Roman writer Pliny, the name comes from the Vettones, a people of the western Iberian Peninsula.
• In Italy, a person with many good qualities is said to have ‘more virtues than betony’.
• Old folk belief held that betony kept evil spirits away; that is why it was sometimes planted around houses and in churchyards.