Ballota nigra

BALLOTA nigra
Black Horehound

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Type:
Perennial

Height: 1-2' (30-60 cm)

Flowering Time: Summer

Flower Colour: Pink

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Botanical Classification:

Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)

Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)

Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder)

Order: Lamiales (Nettle Order)

Family: Lamiaceae (Nettle Family)

Genus: Ballota

Species: nigra (dark)

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Ballota nigra is a coarse, scrambling, bushy member of the Nettle Family, found in open woods, on roadsides, waste ground and hedges. It has dense whorls of pinky lilac flowers and hairy, crinkled, scalloped leaves with an unpleasant smell, and the whole plant has a greyish look.
Ballota nigra was formerly used as a medicinal herb, to calm spasms, control nausea and for bronchial complaints.
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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

Germination:
Seed sown ouside in summer germinated in a few days.

Seed Pod There is no seed pod. The seeds are at the bottom of the calyx.
Seed The seeds are tiny dark brown nuts. There are four seeds from each flower.
Seedling The seedling has crinkled rounded leaves.

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				Germination: Seed sown ouside in summer germinated in a few days.
Seed Pod There is no seed pod. The seeds are at the bottom of the calyx. Seed The seeds are tiny dark brown nuts. There are four seeds from each flower. Seedling The seedling has crinkled rounded leaves.