Stachys 'Hummelo'

Stachys 'Hummelo' is the 2019 Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year. Selected and named by German perennial guru Ernst Pagels in the 1990s, it was named after the hometown of his friend, Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf. Stachys 'Hummelo' is either a selection of the European native Stachys officinalis or monieri...experts still disagree. Stachys 'Hummelo' is an evergreen non-running mint relative that forms a 1' tall x 2' wide clump of thumb-sized green leaves with deeply impressed veins. The clumps are topped, starting for us in May with 20" stalks, ending in terminal clusters of lavender flowers that resemble ajuga...a great bee attractant! In trials at the Chicago Botanic Garden from 1998-2004, Stachys 'Hummelo' rated #1, with the only 5-star rating. Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soils are ideal.