Collinsonia anisata

Common Names

Southern Horsebalm, Anise Horsebalm, Blue Ridge Horsebalm

Summary

Collinsonia anisata Sims, commonly known as Southern Horsebalm or Anise Horsebalm, is a native perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae of the southeastern United States, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi, it grows as a herb in mesic hardwood forests, mixed pine hardwood forests, ravines, and slopes, spreading from a thickened rhizome and typically producing 1 to 3 erect four sided stems that can be green or purplish, with pubescence below and glandular pubescence above, leaves are opposite, petiolate, elliptic to ovate with toothed margins, lightly pubescent with glandular punctation on the upper surface, and all parts emit an anise odor when crushed, flowers are arranged in a terminal panicle or raceme with two flowers per node, the calyx is pubescent and glandular punctate with five lanceolate teeth, the zygomorphic corolla is light yellow with four fertile stamens, and the fruit is a nutlet, native distribution includes central and southern Alabama counties, the species occurs in mesic forest habitats in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions and flowers from July to September into October, its spreading habit suggests management considerations in restoration or planting contexts, no horticultural data is available in the Flora of the Southeastern United States

Lifecycle

Perennial

Bloom Color

Light yellow

Bloom Time

Summer to Fall

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall