Jul 072014
I walked past this tall purplish-pink flower several times without looking at it closely, thinking it was more Purple Loosetrife. On closer inspection I saw that the flowers are quite different, with a pronounced lip almost like an orchid. This woundwort grows in one spot on our lane, and I have also seen it on one of the nearby offshore islands. Woundworts get their name from the fact that they were once used as a herbal remedy to help heal wounds. They do indeed have antiseptic properties, although they have a rather unpleasant smell, more pronounced in the case of Hedge Woundwort.
Brigid I am on holidays in Anagaire in Donegal and have been struck by the abundance of this flower by the roadsides. I have spent ages online trying to identify it. My flowers are more pinkish but the head reminds me of an orchid only much bigger and the stem and leaves reminds me of nettles. They are fairly tall. Do you think this could be the same flower? Sorry I don’t have a camera with me. I asked a local man and he told me it was a wild flower that was spreading.
It’s hard to know what it is without seeing a picture, but it could be a “Red Dead Nettle”, which does have leaves like a nettle and flowers that remind me of an orchid, although it’s not particularly tall. It’s in my blog on April 8th. I hope you’re enjoying your holidays; Donegal is one of my favourite places!