Gypsywort - Lycopus europaeus

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Alternative names
Gipsywort
Description

Medium to tall slightly hairy plant, not aromatic. Leaves oval to elliptical, pinnately lobed at the base, toothed and mostly stalked. Flowers small, white 4 mm, in dense whorls at the base of the uppermost leaves. Stamens 2, protruding.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Wet places, especially canal and river banks, stream sides etc.

When to see it

July to September

Life History

Perennial

UK Status

Quite common in Britain, though less so in the north-west.

VC55 Status

Quite common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 148 of the 617 tetrads.

  • Graham Calow
    Wykin Canal
    09 September 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Barrow Upon Soar
    15 July 2011
  • David Gould
    Aylestone Meadows
    04 September 2014
  • David Gould
    Aylestone Meadows
    15 August 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Stanton Lakes
    13 June 2013
  • David Gould
    Aylestone Meadows
    15 August 2014

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Gipsywort, Gipsy wort, Gypsywort
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Lamiales
Family:
Lamiaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
203
First record:
01/01/1979 (Patricia Evans)
Last record:
10/10/2023 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee Walk, Leire
    16 September 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee walk, Leire
    04 May 2011
  • Graham Calow
    Jubilee Walk, Leire
    02 August 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Cossington
    11 October 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Thornton Reservoir
    05 June 2012
  • HAPeacock
    River Soar - St Marys Mill
    19 August 2012
  • HAPeacock
    River Soar - St Marys Mill
    19 August 2012
  • Graham Calow
    Wykin Canal Towpath
    26 June 2015
  • David Gould
    Aylestone Meadows, Leicester.
    16 May 2015
  • Alan Semper
    Melton Country Park
    29 August 2014
  • Alan Semper
    Harby canal
    24 August 2014
  • Alan Semper
    Melton Country Park
    29 August 2014
  • David Gould
    Aylestone Meadows
    04 September 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Wykin Canal Towpath
    31 July 2015