Stachys officinalis Pink Cotton Candy

Stachys officinalis Pink Cotton Candy, also known as Betony, is a delightful form of the wild meadow plant. It has dense, candy-pink flower spikes in summer, above a basal rosette of rough and toothed, green-grey foliage. It is very hardy and combines simple flowers with the robustness of wild plants. Long known for its medicinal properties, it is also decorative and easy to grow in ordinary, not too dry to moist, but well-drained soil. Ideal for natural or romantic gardens.

Stachys belongs to the Lamiaceae family, known and cultivated for a long time. It originates from temperate regions of France and England, in meadows, heathlands, roadside edges, or clear, dry undergrowth. The 'Pink Cotton Candy' cultivar stands out with particularly bright pink flowers. It is a medium-sized herbaceous plant, 15 to over 60 cm (24in) in height, with basal rosette foliage. The leaves are opposite and toothed, heart-shaped, greenish-grey, and rough. It has dense spikes of flowers at the end of stems adorned with the odd small leaf, from July to October. The flowers are light pink and two-lipped, with a lobe, measuring 1 cm (0in). This plant slowly forms beautiful clumps, growing from its thick crown.

Stachys officinalis Pink Cotton Candy deserves a special place in the garden. It will fit well in herb gardens with thyme, savory, hyssop, and lavender, which are all equally beautiful close relatives. It will also thrive in country-style flower beds, alongside wild-looking plants such as Greater comfrey, borage, centaureas, catmints, and asters (Aster cordifolius, Aster turbinellus...). You can also plant it at the edge of a flower bed, at the base of shrub roses, or alongside perennial geraniums.

Its name Betony is derived from an Iberian people called the Vettones, who made extensive use of this plant during the Middle Ages and beyond. The dried leaves were sometimes used as snuff tobacco.