Stachys monieri Rosea

Stachys monieri 'Rosea' is a little known and rarely used betony in our gardens. This cousin of bear's ears, of mountainous origin, has a very different appearance. Unlike the woolly species often used in dry soil, it charms with its lovely summer flowering, in large pale-pink and feathery floral spikes, which stand above a mound of green foliage with a crimped-waffle appearance. The foliage is evergreen depending on the severity of the winter. This hardy perennial grows in ordinary, well-drained but not too dry soil. It offers curious gardeners another way to dress sunny borders and even containers.

Betony belongs to the Lamiaceae family, just like mint and sage. Stachys monieri has its origins in Kurdistan, a country of mountains and high plateaus in Central Asia. It is a medium-sized herbaceous plant, with variable appearance in nature. The 'Rosea' variety stands out with its very beautiful soft pink flowering. The plant measures from 40 to 55cm (16 to 22in) or more in height when in bloom, and forms a uniform conical rosette of basal foliage. The large leaves are ovate to heart-shaped. The bottle-green lamina is glossy, thick, and strongly veined, with a waffle-like appearance. From June-July to September-October, it produces clustered flowers in large and dense spikes at the end of stems adorned with rare small leaves. The flowers are bilabiate, with one lobe, measuring 1.5cm (1in) and gently coloured in pink. This plant slowly forms beautiful clumps, increasing through creeping stems that root upon contact with the ground.

Stachys monieri 'Rosea' will naturally find its place in borders and in rockeries with Onosma alboroseum, campanula, or Antennaria dioica 'Rubra'. It blends well in beds with pink, mauve, or violet flowers, such as echinaceas, monardas, veronicas, Sedum 'Matrona', and Aethionema. It will thrive in wild-looking flower beds, in the company of plants such as comfrey, borage, centaureas, catmints, and asters (Aster cordifolius, A. turbinellus). It adapts to many situations. Plant it at the base of shrub roses or in the company of perennial geraniums.