Richweed is a perennial wildflower in the mint family native to Quebec south to Florida. It is widely spread east of the Mississippi River and is found in c ove forests, rich forests, especially over calcareous or mafic substrates. In NC it is found in the Piedmont and mountains. It can grow up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide and spreads by rhizomes. The flowers bloom on terminal spikes, are tubular and yellow with a lemony scent. The leaves can be used to make tea and are also fragrant. Richweed prefers partial shade in well-drained slightly acidic mesic soils that contain some humus and loam. It will grow well under deciduous trees. It is best used in the naturalized and woodland settings and is a great nectar source for bees. It is a host plant for the larvae of the Stoneroot borer ( Papaipema astuta ) moth.
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.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf value
Edible; Fragrant
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
4-8 inches long and 1.5-4 inches wide oval toothed leaves are opposite along the entire stem. Undersides are paler.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower shape
Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Fragrant yellow tubular 2-lipped flowers on branched terminal spikes bloom from July to September. The lower lip of each flower is fringed and extends beyond the upper lip. They have a lemony or citronella fragrance.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit detail
Fruits are small nutlets that develop within enlarged calyces from September to October.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The stem is light green, bluntly 4-angled with shallow channels along its sides. It is hairless to a few hairs