Whitestem Hedgenettle
Stachys albens
Care
full sun, part shade
moderate
Fast, Medium, Slow; Tolerant of a variety of garden soils as long as sufficient moisture is available.
2–4ft tall , 2–6ft wide
Deciduous
Resistant
Friendly
Yes
Prized
Tubers eaten cooked; traditional Indigenous food source
Grasslands and scrub of the Central Valley and adjacent regions, below 2000 ft elevation.
Care Guide
Planting
Plant Whitestem Hedgenettle in full sun to part shade depending on your Bay Area location - closer to the coast it tolerates full sun, while inland gardens do better with part sun. It thrives in any soil type as long as you can provide consistent moisture; drainage speed (fast, medium, or slow) matters less than keeping the soil regularly watered. Plant in fall or winter to establish before summer, spacing plants according to how wide you want them to spread, since this plant spreads by rhizomes toward moisture.
After Planting
Water weekly during the first growing season to establish the plant and keep soil consistently moist. Once established, maintain moderate to high watering - this plant comes from wet riparian and boggy habitats and performs best with regular water; if you let it dry out, it may go dormant or decline. Expect it to go fully dormant and lose its leaves in winter, which is normal. The biggest mistake is underwatering: Whitestem Hedgenettle is not drought-tolerant, so don't treat it like a typical California native that needs summer water cutoff.
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Wildlife Supported
Insects
Larval development and nesting substrate
Larval host plant in coastal California habitats
Spring and early summer nectar source
Herbivory on plant tissues; overwintering host
Spring bloom period nectar and pollen foraging
Early spring foraging for colony establishment