Blephilia hirsuta, commonly known as hairy wood mint, is a clump-forming perennial wildflower noted for its toothed, fragrant leaves, and dainty white to pale blue-purple flower heads. Blephilia hirsuta is distinguished from close relative Blephilia ciliata by the presence of small, soft hairs all over the plant’s tissues; while Blephilia ciliataproduces fine hairs only on its leaves, Blephilia hirsutaproduces slightly coarser hairs on its leaves as well as its stems. Hairy wood mint grows to a size of about 1-2′ tall and wide, and blooms profusely from late spring to summer; flowers are highly attractive to a variety of pollinators including bumblebees and monarch butterflies, among others.

As a member of the mint family, Blephilia hirsuta can be used as a mint substitute – in both culinary uses and in the landscape. Leaves and tissues have a minty, herbal fragrance and taste, but hairy wood mint is thankfully a less aggressive spreader than a true mint. Blephilia hirsuta prefers shady, moist, nutrient-rich habitats, so it will perform well in the home garden if provided with medium moisture in fertile, well-draining sites ranging from partial to full shade. With its fragrant and hairy leaves, downy wood mint is distasteful to both rabbits and deer, and small leaves and shoots close to the ground retain their green color through the winter, making it an excellent garden addition with a lot of multi-season appeal.

Our Blephilia hirsuta plugs and containers are grown from seed right here at Unity Church Hill Nursery.