Flower profile

Florida hedgenettle

Stachys floridana

Florida hedgenettle (Stachys floridana) is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Florida hedgenettle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

12states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

5,511U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Louisiana, South Carolina

Quick look

Stachys floridana is a species of betony in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the United States, where its true native range is probably limited to Florida, but today it is known throughout the Southeast as an introduced species and common weed. It occurs as far west as Texas, and it has been recorded in California. Its common names include Florida betony, Florida hedgenettle, and rattlesnake weed.
From Wikipedia's article Stachys floridana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 12 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to South Carolina and Louisiana. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 436 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #88 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 432 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #90 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,008 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
South Carolina	Native	few records (29)	436
Louisiana	Native	few records (18)	432

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Carolina.
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Tuber is edible and is said to have a pleasingly crunchy texture and a bland, slightly sweet taste.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Florida hedgenettle in 12 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Lexington, Oconee, Orangeburg, Williamsburg.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Bienville, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 123 counties across 12 states; the most are in Florida (44), Louisiana (36), Georgia (14).

More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, American beautyberry, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, American germander.

More South Carolina flowers

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in SC: June–July

Lyreleaf sage

Salvia lyrata

Native

🌼 Blooms in SC: March–April

Henbit deadnettle

Lamium amplexicaule

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in SC: January–March

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile STFL4.
iNaturalist, Stachys floridana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Stachys floridana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Stachys floridana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Grace Merkert via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.