Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon
 
Family – Lamiaceae, mint family
Small creeping perennial up to 30 cm tall c50cm spread
Flowering – May to June
Soils -  Any soil containing humus.
Position – Partial shade
 
 
Yellow archangel is a creeping perennial up to 30cm, with square stems and opposite pairs of leaves at right angles to each other, and usually smaller than those of the similar white dead nettle. Found in hedgerows and woodland margins, it is an ancient woodland indicator species1. . It is distributed throughout Britain and Ireland, but in Scotland and Ireland it is uncommon2. . Unlike white deadnettle this species produces long rooting runners. Leaves superficially resemble those of stinging nettle but lack stinging hairs. Conspicuous small butter-yellow flowers are borne around the upright stems in spring.
 
Yellow archangel was first recorded botanically in Britain by Gerard in 15973. . Another common name is yellow dead-nettle. A traditional Gloucestershire name is weasel wnout. Its Welsh name is marddanhadlen felen. The origin of the name ‘archangel’ for this species is not known.
 
This makes an attractive garden plant, in the wild it grows in similar situations to the Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and they look good together in a garden.
 
The lipped flowers are adapted for pollination by bumblebees, which land on the lip and delve deep into the flower to get at nectar secreted at the back of the flower tube.  Only two insects, a beetle and the speckled yellow moth Pseudopanthera macularia are recorded as feeding on the plant.4 .
 
An invasive form of this species of unknown origin (known as sub-species argentatum)5. was introduced by the nursery trade in 19606. as a ground-cover plant, and has frequently escaped from gardens into the wild. It can be identified by having larger leaves, always with conspicuous silver markings. This form spreads into large patches and crowds out other vegetation and can hybridise with the wild form. The wild form has smaller leaves, normally with few or no silver markings, and does not become dominant or invasive. In order to get the genuine wild form you should obtain it from a specialist wild plant supplier.
 
References
 
1. Rose, F. 1999. Indicators of Ancient Woodland. British Wildlife, Vol. 10 No. 4.
 
2.  Stace, C. 2010  New Flora of the British Isles, Third Edition. P. 618.
 
3.  Pearman, D. (2017). The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. P.249
 
4.  See the Biological Record Centre database 
 
5.  Stace, C. 2010  New Flora of the British Isles, Third Edition. P.618.
 
6.  Stace, C.A. and Crawley, M.J. (2015).  Alien Plants.  Collins New Naturalist p. 419
 
 
Page written by Marc Carlton.  Compiled by Steve Head
Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon 
 
Family – Lamiaceae, mint family
Small creeping perennial up to 30 cm tall c50cm spread
Flowering – May to June
Soils -  Any soil containing humus.
Position – Partial shade
 
 
Yellow archangel is a creeping perennial up to 30cm, with square stems and opposite pairs of leaves at right angles to each other, and usually smaller than those of the similar white dead nettle. Found in hedgerows and woodland margins, it is an ancient woodland indicator species1. . It is distributed throughout Britain and Ireland, but in Scotland and Ireland it is uncommon2. . Unlike white deadnettle this species produces long rooting runners. Leaves superficially resemble those of stinging nettle but lack stinging hairs. Conspicuous small butter-yellow flowers are borne around the upright stems in spring.
 
Yellow archangel was first recorded botanically in Britain by Gerard in 15973. . Another common name is yellow dead-nettle. A traditional Gloucestershire name is weasel wnout. Its Welsh name is marddanhadlen felen. The origin of the name ‘archangel’ for this species is not known.
 
This makes an attractive garden plant, in the wild it grows in similar situations to the Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and they look good together in a garden.
 
The lipped flowers are adapted for pollination by bumblebees, which land on the lip and delve deep into the flower to get at nectar secreted at the back of the flower tube.  Only two insects, a beetle and the speckled yellow moth Pseudopanthera macularia are recorded as feeding on the plant.4 .
 
An invasive form of this species of unknown origin (known as sub-species argentatum)5. was introduced by the nursery trade in 19606. as a ground-cover plant, and has frequently escaped from gardens into the wild. It can be identified by having larger leaves, always with conspicuous silver markings. This form spreads into large patches and crowds out other vegetation and can hybridise with the wild form. The wild form has smaller leaves, normally with few or no silver markings, and does not become dominant or invasive. In order to get the genuine wild form you should obtain it from a specialist wild plant supplier.
 
References
 
1. Rose, F. 1999. Indicators of Ancient Woodland. British Wildlife, Vol. 10 No. 4.
 
2.  Stace, C. 2010  New Flora of the British Isles, Third Edition. P. 618.
 
3.  Pearman, D. (2017). The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. P.249
 
4.  See the Biological Record Centre database 
 
5.  Stace, C. 2010  New Flora of the British Isles, Third Edition. P.618.
 
6.  Stace, C.A. and Crawley, M.J. (2015).  Alien Plants.  Collins New Naturalist p. 419
 
 
Page written by Marc Carlton.  Compiled by Steve Head
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