Stachys Hummelo is 2019’s Perennial of the Year

Virtues:Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’ has been named 2019’s Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. It’s an easy-to-grow plant that provides spikes of purple flowers in late summer. Its short stature and ability to gently spread (by rooting stems) make it a good edging plant or ground cover. It's a good plant for pollinators.

Common name: Hummelo betony, Hummelo stachys

Botanical name:Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’; sometimes listed as Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’

Exposure: Full sun

Season: Midsummer to autumn, for flowers

Flowers: Tubular purple-pink flowers appear in spiky clusters above the foliage from midsummer through autumn.

Foliage: The leaves are dark green, long and narrow.

Habit: Stachys Hummelo makes a low clump of foliage to about 12 inches tall and up to twice as wide. The flowers rise above this basal clump to a height of about 24 inches. This plant produces stems that can root where they touch the ground. It can be planted in mass to form a ground cover.

Origins: Hummelo is a variety of Stachys officinalis, a plant native to Europe and Asia.

How to grow Stachys Hummelo: Site this perennial in full sun, although in very hot climates it should get some light shade in the afternoon. Provide even soil moisture and good drainage. It can resist some drought once it is established. USDA Zones 4–8.

Image credit: Walters Gardens