Stachys caroliniana

Stachys caroliniana is an at-risk species. It was first collected in 1977 in Charleston County by the Santee River. It was later collected again in 1990 in Georgetown County at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center. These are the only two known wild collections.

In the summer of 2019, Brookgreen Gardens visited Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center with the intention of helping to preserve Stachys caroliniana. Cuttings were brought back to Brookgreen Gardens' greenhouse complex to be propagated. These plants may be viewed in several of our gardens.

It is our experience that Stachys caroliniana grows via rhizomes, or underground stems, which make them very successful at spreading quickly throughout garden beds. We have observed them rapidly take over garden bed spaces and have found it beneficial to plant them in garden beds that are contained, as to help control their spread.These plants are not ideal for a mixed planting, as they will dominate the bed.