Stachys officinalis ‘Summer Grapes’

Betony Lamiaceae

If ordinary betony is a dependable cottage-garden staple, ‘Summer Grapes’ has turned up dressed for a special occasion. Rich, grape-purple flower spikes rise above neat, softly quilted foliage from early summer, providing weeks of colour and a reliable nectar stop for bees and butterflies. Equally at home among prairie planting, roses or naturalistic borders, it’s one of those quietly indispensable perennials that asks for very little yet always seems to make the surrounding plants look better. Around 50–60cm tall.