Lycopus lucidus aka Shiny Bugleweed

Lycopus lucidus belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is a perennial, which means it lives for years. People call it bugleweed or rough bugleweed. It is native to southern and eastern Siberia. Its range also spans temperate East Asia. Records list China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. It grows in a temperate climate. It reaches about 3.3 feet (1 metre) tall.

In the wild, it grows by streams and in other damp spots. Its need for damp soil suits it to bog gardens. PFAF lists both moist and wet soil as suitable. It can grow in sand, loam, or clay. Soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. It grows in full sun or part shade. This gives some choice of site, but it still needs moisture. PFAF has little detailed knowledge of how to grow this species. It does not confirm that the plant is hardy in Britain. Its range does suggest some scope for growth outdoors.

It blooms from July to September. Seeds ripen from August to November. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees and flies pollinate the blooms. The supplied sources give no flower colour or leaf shape. They give no mature spread or details of the fruit. The long bloom season adds a summer focus to wet plantings. Its recorded garden use is in bog gardens, not dry borders.

PFAF says people can eat the cooked root. It gives the root a low food rating. It records its use as food only in times of shortage. It also lists uses in folk medicine for the heart and liver. These uses include urine flow, pain with periods, injuries, and swelling of the belly. These records show past practice, not proof that the treatments work. For use as medicine, people pick the plant as blooms start. They then dry it. PFAF reports no known hazards. This does not mean that every use is safe.

Grow new plants from seed or by division in spring or autumn. PFAF advises sowing seed in a cold frame. Young plants spend their first year under glass. They move to their final site in early summer. Large divisions can go straight into their growing site. Grow small divisions in pots first, until they have strong roots. The supplied evidence names no specific pests or diseases.