Fauna
Plant

Hairy Wood Mint

Blephilia hirsuta

Also known as Hairy Pagoda Plant, Hairy Pagoda-plant

Hairy wood mint thrives along shaded forest slopes and damp woodland bottoms, sending up square stems lined with distinctly hairy, serrated leaves that release a pungent herbal aroma when crushed. Tight, tiered clusters of pale lilac to whitish flowers bloom in spherical whorls stacked like pagodas along the upper stem throughout midsummer. These nectar-rich blooms draw an energetic procession of native long-tongued bees, skippers, and bee flies into dappled forest light.

WildflowerWoodlandPollinator Attractor
Hairy Wood Mint reference1 / 7
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil Nutrients
Predators
  • White-tailed Deer
  • Grasshoppers
  • Flea Beetles
ThreatsCanopy disturbance, invasive herbaceous weeds like garlic mustard, and excessive soil compaction
HabitatsRich mesic deciduous forests, shaded ravines, moist stream borders, and woodland openings
Life spanPerennial (typically 3–8 years)
Classification
  1. OrderLamiales
  2. FamilyLamiaceae
  3. GenusBlephilia
  4. SpeciesBlephilia hirsuta
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Field ID: Check the petioles and stems for dense, spreading hairs to separate it from downy wood mint.
  • Pollinator Watching: Visit flowering clumps on humid mornings when bumblebees and butterflies are most active.
  • Cultivation: Grow in damp, partly shaded garden beds rich in organic leaf mold.
Related species
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