Wood Betony is a perennial herbaceous plant in the broomrape family that is native to SE Canada, SE USA and eastern Mexico. In NC it is found in all areas although rare in the coastal plains. It can be found in a variety of habitats including open woods, thickets and clearings. It is a hemiparasite that attaches to the roots of different plants including some grasses but also produces its own chlorophyll. The leaves are mostly in a basilar rosette with a few stem leaves. The lobed wavy-edged margins give in a ferny look. In April-June a spike of 2-lipped yellow flowers appears that bloom from the bottom up and attract bees.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Crenulate; Lobed; Undulate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Lance-shaped leaves, toothed and deeply cut; cluster of simple stems
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Lipped
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
flower yellow and reddish corolla; long arching upper lip; borne in short, densely bracted end clusters
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
Angular and hairy fruits
Stem detail
Green or reddish-brown stalk covered in hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
Canada south to Florida
Wildlife value
Bumblebees pollinate the flowers.
Food & Medicine
Uses (ethnobotany)
Eaten as a vegetable by native Americans. Infusion of the roots used medicinally.