Overview

Dracocephalum is a clump forming herbaceous perennial in the genus Dracocephalum, part of the Lamiaceae family, with deciduous foliage. Dracocephalum grows best in full sun and partial shade, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H6. Suggested uses include city and courtyard gardens, cottage and informal garden, gravel garden, banks and slopes and flower borders and beds. It is native to Afghanistan, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Russia, China North-Central, China South-Central, Chita, Colorado, Connecticut, Czechia-Slovakia, Delaware, East European Russia, East Himalaya, France, Germany, Greece, Gulf States, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Krym, Kuril Is., Kuwait, Labrador, Lebanon-Syria, Magadan, Maine, Manchuria, Manitoba, Massachusetts, Mexico Northwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Nebraska, Nepal, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Norway, Nova Scotia, NW. Balkan Pen., Ohio, Oman, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Pennsylvania, Poland, Primorye, Qinghai, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Sakhalin, Saskatchewan, Saudi Arabia, Sinai, South Dakota, South European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Türkiye, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang and Yakutiya.

About

Dracocephalum is an herbaceous perennial in the Lamiaceae that forms a clump of deciduous foliage. It carries the common name dragon head for its distinctive flowers and reliably blooms from July to September. Plant it in full sun or partial shade on well-drained chalk, loam or sand soils. Rated H6, it is very hardy for UK conditions and suits both exposed and sheltered sites.

About the genus

Dracocephalum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. These flowers, collectively called dragonhead, are annual or perennial herbaceous plants or subshrubs, growing to 15 to 90 centimeters tall. The genus has 89 species as currently circumscribed, which includes the formerly separate genera Hyssopus, Lallemantia, and others.

Wikipedia contributors, "Dracocephalum", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Dracocephalum

In the garden

Dracocephalum is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the mint family, with a wide native distribution across temperate parts of Europe, Asia and North America. The plants produce the informal dragon’s head flowers that give the genus its common name, and they flower from July to September. Foliage is deciduous and the overall habit remains a distinct clump rather than a sprawling ground cover. Give Dracocephalum a sunny spot or light afternoon shade; it tolerates east, south or west aspects. It prefers well-drained soils and succeeds on chalk, loam or sandy substrates, and will cope equally in exposed or sheltered positions. The H6 rating equates to very hardy in UK terms, so it will survive typical winter temperatures in most areas. Use this plant in city courtyards, cottage and informal borders, gravel gardens or on banks and slopes where a compact, flowering perennial is required. Because it is clump-forming and deciduous, allow the crown room to mature and slot adjacent planting to either side rather than directly over the root zone. Flowering runs through midsummer into early autumn, from July to September, making Dracocephalum a reliable contributor to the summer border.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Dracocephalum

Sunlight

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil type

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Well-drained

Aspect

East-facing, South-facing, West-facing

Exposure

Exposed, Sheltered

UK hardiness

H6

Plant details

Dracocephalum size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Clump forming

Foliage

Deciduous

Suggested uses

City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Banks and slopes, Flower borders and beds

Native to

Afghanistan, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Russia, China North-Central, China South-Central, Chita, Colorado, Connecticut, Czechia-Slovakia, Delaware, East European Russia, East Himalaya, France, Germany, Greece, Gulf States, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Krym, Kuril Is., Kuwait, Labrador, Lebanon-Syria, Magadan, Maine, Manchuria, Manitoba, Massachusetts, Mexico Northwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Nebraska, Nepal, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Norway, Nova Scotia, NW. Balkan Pen., Ohio, Oman, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Pennsylvania, Poland, Primorye, Qinghai, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Sakhalin, Saskatchewan, Saudi Arabia, Sinai, South Dakota, South European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Türkiye, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutiya

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Dracocephalum

Propagation

Division, Basal cuttings in spring

Pest resistance

Generally pest-free

Disease resistance

Generally disease-free

Frequently asked questions

More in the Dracocephalum genus

• 
  Dracocephalum forrestiiDragon's Head
• 
  Dracocephalum isabellaeDragon's Head
• Dracocephalum arguense 'Fuji Blue'
• Dracocephalum ruyschianumDragon's Head
• Dracocephalum tanguticumDragon's Head
• Dracopcephalum rupestre