Water horehound
Lycopus spp. · Aquatic plants
Whole plant · Photo: dghjertaas / CC0
Also called Rough bugleweed (Lycopus asper), Bugleweed, American water horehound (Lycopus americanus)
How to identify Water horehound
- Square stems with opposite, coarsely toothed or lobed leaves
- Tiny white flowers in tight clusters at the leaf joints
- No mint smell when crushed
- 1 to 3 feet tall
Similar plants
Wild mint looks very similar but smells strongly of mint when crushed.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Comes up in late spring, flowers July to September and dies back to rhizomes in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | Late spring |
| Light | Full sun to part shade |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to a few inches of water |
| How it spreads | Rhizomes and seeds |
| Habitat | Marsh edges, pond and stream banks, ditches and wet meadows. |
Why it matters in a lake
A common native mint relative at the water line. Harmless and good for pollinators and bank stability.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Scientific name | Lycopus spp. |
Canada thistle
Foxtail barley
Pale smartweed
Curly dock
Barnyardgrass
Nodding beggarticks
Wild mint
Toad rush
Perennial pepperweed
Poison hemlockNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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