Lycopus uniflorus aka Northern Water Horehound

Lycopus uniflorus is a small perennial in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its common names include bugleweed and northern bugleweed. Its native range spans North America and parts of temperate Asia. In Asia, it grows from the Russian Far East to Korea and Japan. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Kew places it in the temperate climate zone.

The plant reaches about 1 foot (0.3 metres) in height. Its roots form crisp, white tubers that have food uses. Wild plants grow on low, wet ground and in bogs. In the northern part of its range, these open wet sites form its habitat. Farther south, it also grows in wet woods. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees and flies pollinate the flowers.

Plants For A Future lists sun or partial shade as suitable. It also lists moist or wet soil as the plant's preference. Its profile includes sandy, loamy, and clay soils. The stated pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. A bog garden is one suggested setting for this small perennial. The source lists USDA zones 4–8, but expresses doubt about British hardiness. It notes that its cultivation guidance rests on the genus's needs. These limits matter when using the profile to plan a garden.

The tubers can be eaten raw or cooked. Plants For A Future records their use by some Indigenous North American peoples. For some groups, the roots served as a staple food. Raw tubers can go into salads, while cooked ones suit soups. The source also describes briefly boiled tubers as a vegetable. It records the whole plant as a traditional cough remedy and sedative. This account does not establish that such treatments work or are safe. The source reports no known hazards, rather than proof of safety.

Propagation options include seed and division. The source suggests sowing seed in a cold frame in spring or autumn. It advises growing seedlings under glass through their first year. Young plants can then move outside in early summer. Clumps can be divided in spring or autumn. Large divisions can go straight into their final sites. Small divisions can grow in pots until their roots establish. The supplied sources give no specific pest or disease details.