Galeopsis speciosa

'Large Flowered Hemp-Nettle'

[Ex. Karnische Alpen 1340 m., Italy]

Lamiaceae: an attractive, branched, bristly annual to 50cm, with a robust appearance. Found on cultivated land and on disturbed ground, mainly on peaty soils. the flowers are 25-35mm long, yellow with purple on the lower lip, the corolla tube is twice the length of the calyx, arranged in whorls. Blooming from July – September. the leaves are ovate, toothed, and stalked. A rather scarce British native. Native to Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to France, Bulgaria and Siberia.

GROWING INFORMATION:

This species has a complex seed dormancy. In nature the seeds are found on arable land and other disturbed ground. They are a spring germinating annual, that needs the freezing and thawing of a long winter and then needs to be on the top of the disturbed soil in the spring. Only a very small about of seed germinates in its first year, then more in the second, third, fourth, and so on. It is said that treating the seeds with Gibberellic acid [GA3] helps, but I have no luck with it in the past. Now I simply add them to my poppy and vegetable beds in the autumn, I dig the soil over, drop the seeds on the surface and leave them all winter. In the spring I turn the soil over a few times. As I don't use herbicides on my beds, I simply let these annual flowers come up naturally.

Grows in most well-drained soils, needing full sun and really dislike heavy shade.

HARVESTED: 2021*

 
APPROX. 40 SEEDS