Marrubium vulgare
A drought-tolerant mint-family herb with square, hairy stems, woolly opposite leaves, and small white tubular flowers, hardy in zones 3–9, traditionally used for respiratory support, medicinal teas, candy flavoring, and as a low-growing ground cover.
Common Names
White Horehound, Horehound, Common Horehound
Summary
White horehound is a perennial herb in the mint family native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It grows as an erect plant with square, hairy stems about 0.3–0.6 m tall and opposite, gray-green, woolly, crinkled leaves; small white tubular flowers form dense whorls at the stem tips, and fresh leaves carry a musky aroma that fades when dried.
It prefers full sun and sandy, dry soil, tolerates poor fertility, and is hardy in USDA zones 3a–9b. Propagation is by seed, basal cuttings, or division, and it is often grown contained to prevent spreading; it is a good bee plant and is used in traditional medicine for respiratory ailments, with leaves fresh or dried for teas and as a flavoring in candies and liqueurs; it can be grown as a companion plant near tomatoes, and pests and diseases are uncommon.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4 inches to 3.5 feet
Spread
2-3 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun, tolerates partial shade.
Soil Type
Dry, well-drained soil, often sandy or calcareous/alkaline.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Gray-green
Fall Foliage Color
Gray-Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Basal cuttings, Division, Layering, Stem Cuttings, Softwood cuttings, Leaf Cuttings, Seedlings/Transplanting, Vegetative propagation
Attracts Wildlife
Bees and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 583 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Marrubium
Synonyms
Marrubium apulum Marrubium ballotoides Marrubium germanicum Marrubium hamatum Marrubium vaillantii Marrubium vulgare subsp. apulum Marrubium vulgare var. microphyllum Marrubium vulgare var. gossypinum Marrubium vulgare var. lanatum Marrubium vulgare var. vaillantii Marrubium hyperleucum var. comosum Marrubium hyperleucum var. brevidens Marrubium vulgare subsp. oligodon Marrubium album Marrubium hyperleucum Marrubium uncinatum Prasium marrubium Marrubium vulgare var. caucasicum Marrubium vulgare var. apulum