Big betony
Stachys macrantha · Lamiaceae
Whorls of large, hooded, purple-pink flowers on upright stems, above a mound of wrinkled, heart-shaped, dark green leaves.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Early June to mid July
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around big betony
The planner designed this bed around big betony when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why big betony stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Big betony × 1, purple
- 2 Sea thrift × 10, pink
- 3 Winter heath × 8, white
- 4 Gloriosa daisy 'Indian Summer' × 8, yellow
- 5 Showy goldenrod × 4, yellow
- 6 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 7 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 5, purple
- 8 Jonquil × 12, yellow
Why this plant
- The only spires. The others are globes, bells, daisies and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
Why here
- In the middle. At 20 in it is the step between sea thrift (8 in) in front and gloriosa daisy 'Indian Summer' (3 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant. Three or more is usual for a plant of this kind, and reads better.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From early June to mid July.
- Fills a gap. For two of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a cottage garden: 32 of the 32 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. Yellow is the colour seen most, on 3 of the 7 kinds grown for their flowers. Sea thrift, fine in leaf, stands next to bold-leaved silver sage, and each shows the other off.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 3 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where big betony goes in a border
At 20 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A sturdy, old-fashioned plant that has come back into favour: it flowers with the roses, never flops, and makes a dense, weed-proof clump.
- Early summer colour with roses
- Weed-proof clumps at the front
- Bees
What to plant with big betony
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- English rose: purple against yellow, opposite each other on the colour wheel, if you choose those colours, in flower together for six weeks; a low mound at the foot of its spires; tall enough (4 ft) to stand behind it.
- Lady's mantle: in flower together for five weeks, from early June; a low mound at the foot of its spires.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': in flower together for six weeks, from early June; a low mound at the foot of its spires.
Questions about big betony
Does big betony need sun or shade?
Big betony grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does big betony grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does big betony flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early June to mid July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 4 | Mid June to mid July |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Early June to mid July |
| Zone 6 | Early June to mid July |
| Zone 7 | Late May to early July |
| Zone 8 | Late May to early July |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should big betony be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many big betony plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is there a native plant like big betony?
Big betony is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Stokes' aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late June to mid August.
- Sundrops 'Fireworks': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; yellow, not purple.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after big betony?
Big betony is over by mid July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall.
- Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
- Ornamental onion 'Millenium': from mid July to late August, 18 in tall.
What does big betony look like in winter?
Big betony dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
More Stachys
- Betony 'Hummelo' Stachys officinalis 'Hummelo'
- Lamb's ear Stachys byzantina
- Lamb's ear 'Big Ears' Stachys byzantina 'Big Ears'
- Lamb's ear 'Silver Carpet' Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early June to mid July; upright spires; purple, pink
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; dark green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Lamiaceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.