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Waterhorehound
Lycopus americanus

There are several Lycopus species in Minnesota, all with similar clusters of small, white, tubular flowers at the leaf axils, most growing in the same type of habitat at the same time, often next to each other. American Water Horehound is most easily distinguished by its deeply lobed lower leaves, which the others all lack.

USDA symbol: LYAM

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height1 to 3 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureWet
Bloom ColorWhite
Waterhorehound (Waterhorehound<div><em class="small">Lycopus americanus</em></div>)
Photo credit: United States Department of Agriculture (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceLow
Stress ToleranceFire Tolerant

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsJuly to September
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeRain Garden
Coefficient of Conservatism4
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionWeakly Clonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands