Wood betony's attractive fern-like foliage is purplish when it first appears in spring and turns a lush green as the plant matures. Whorled clusters of tubular yellow flowers appear in spring for several weeks. Bees are the primary visitors, but the flowers will likely attract a hummingbird here and there.

Like other members of the broomrape family, wood betony is hemi-parasitic. It is capable normal growth, but it's roots will parasitize neighboring plants. This tends to cause the other plants to be shorter or smaller than normal. Wood betony can spread both by seed and short rhizomes, though it isn't considered an aggressive spreader.

There are records of its use both medicinally and as a food source.

Uses: Bees, groundcover, foliage
Bloom time: April - June

Height: 10 to 18 inches
Space: 10 to 18 inches

Sun: Full sun to medium shade
Moisture: Dry to average