Linaria repens aka Pale Toadflax

Linaria repens, also known as pale toadflax or creeping toadflax in Europe and as striped toadflax in the US, is a short-statured herbaceous plant in the family Plantaginaceae, native to Europe. It spreads by rhizomes and can grow up to 80 cm in height. The upper flower petals are pale with purple veins, while the lower petals are pale purple-white with a yellow centre. This plant is found in stony wasteground, along walls, in arable situations and along railways, usually on dry, calcareous or base-rich soils. It grows to a maximum altitude just over 2300 metres and is found across western Europe. It has also been introduced to the east coast of the United States. L. repens is similar in appearance to Linaria purpurea and has flowers that closely resemble Cymbalaria muralis, so care must be taken in identification. It is theorised to be an archaeophyte in the United Kingdom, meaning it was introduced before 1492. In the US, striped toadflax is distinctive among New England Linaria species for being a perennial that can propagate along short rhizomes. Its pale purplish flowers have prominent purple stripes that may guide insect pollinators to the nectar tube and entice them to pollinate the plant. However, this plant might be poisonous. To get rid of toadflax, choose an herbicide labeled for use against it and apply it according to the label instructions. Apply herbicides to Dalmatian toadflax in spring and to yellow toadflax in late summer or fall. Your local cooperative extension agent can suggest the best herbicide for growing wild toadflax control in your area. If you want to grow striped toadflax as a houseplant, it needs regular watering to thrive and should be placed in long-lasting, direct light less than 1 foot from a window. Striped Toadflax likes soil that is well-draining and should be repotted each time it doubles in size. It shouldn't need added fertilizers.