Horse Balm

(Collinsonia canadensis)

 

Color photographs: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis)

Identification: Flowers yellow. Lower petal lobe elongate, hanging, and fringed. Stamens and pistil very long, protruding far beyond the end of the corolla. Teeth of calyx extremely uneven in length. Flowers located on a long, much branched flowering stalk. Stem square. Leaves ovate, with petioles, and a toothed outer margin. Lower leaves typically very large and conspicuous. Plant 2 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Wisconsin in the west to New England in the east, southward to Florida and Louisiana.

Habitat: Horse Balm is found in damp forest.

Flowering period: July to September.

Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis)

Similar Species:

The yellow, distinctive flowers and the large basal leaves make Horse Balm one of the most distinctive species of mints in North America.

Similar Species

No Similar Species