What is Motherwort Herb? – Uses and Growth Tips for Motherwort Plant

by Becky Decker · October 11, 2023

One day, I saw my friend plucking some herbs to add to tea for me. I wondered what it was, and you won’t believe it; when I tasted the tea, it was just awesome.

I know you must be thinking, ‘What was that?’ I was curious too, and I got the answer—it was all because of the ‘motherwort herb.’ Not just the name, I learned the ways to grow it so that I could plant it in my garden. Are you also interested in growing them? Don’t worry; get everything you need to know about motherwort.

Here, I have explained all the steps that will help you grow motherwort herbs in your garden, just as I did. Let’s get started and jump into the information regarding the motherwort herb.

Quick takeaways:

This plant originated from Eurasia and is now spread in various regions of southern Canada.

Motherwort can be used to cure conditions of the heart, menopause symptoms, and even many more problems.

You can grow this plant in your garden to get rid of the problems stated above.

Table of Contents

What is Motherwort Herb?

Motherwort is also known as Leonurus cardiaca which means “lionhearted”. The word indicates that the plant somehow denotes power and strength in emotional and mental times. It is a member of the Mint family. Motherwort tends to produce pinkish to purplish blossoms. This plant blooms from the middle of the summer through early fall. Motherwort tends to seek the attention of pollinators in your garden and won’t repel any bees. This will look elegant in your yard. This herb is also used as herbal medicine.

Basic points:

Common Name	Motherwort
Botanical Name	Leonurus cardiaca
Family	Lamiaceae
Plant Type	Perennial, Herb
Mature Size	4 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide
Sun Exposure	Full, Partial, Shade
Soil Type	Loamy, Sandy, Clay, Silt, Moist but Well-drained
Soil pH	Neutral, Alkaline
Bloom Time	Summer
Flower Color	Pink, Purple
Hardiness Zones	3-8, USA
Native Area	Europe, Asia

What are the uses of the Motherwort Herb?

Motherwort herb is used by various people to cure diseases. It has been used for thousands of years to prevent various problematic diseases. Of course, there will be uses for this herb which is why people tend to take it. Let us know about those uses in detail:

It helps in reducing the anxiety level of an individual. If you continuously consume it for more than 10 days, it can decrease your anxiety level.
It can help individuals decrease their blood pressure if they take it consistently for a month.
It will help an individual to reduce their depression level.
It tends to cure various heart conditions.
It can prevent the disorders of a woman such as menopause, irregular periods, following childbirth, and so on.

Are there any side effects of taking the Motherwort?

As all know everything has two sides, if one thing has benefits, it will bring some disadvantages or side effects. What do you think are the side effects of taking the motherwort? Yes, of course, there are side effects of t. Let you know about them:

If you take the herb properly then it will prove to be safe for you. But as you consume it through the mouth, you can face some side effects such as stomach problems, diarrhea, etc.

If you are taking the herb on the advice of a consultant or healthcare, it is safe for you to prevent bleeding. But some side effects that can happen are rashes, stomachaches, redness on the skin, etc.

How do you grow the Motherwort Herb?

Motherwort plants can be grown easily but you need to soak the seeds for a day in the water and after that put the seeds in a Plastic bag with sand. Let it get refrigerated. As you want to plant the seeds, you can use the seeds for 1-2 weeks after getting refrigerated. But if you are planting the seeds in the springtime, then you don’t need to do this process, you just have to follow the below steps for planting your seeds:

Step 1- Firstly, you have to put the seeds in well-draining soil. Make sure to do this before the last frost.

Step 2- Now, gently provide coverage to it with the soil(⅛) inches deeper.

Step 3- You have to make sure that the soil is moist.

Step 4- You need to wait till the threat of frost goes.

Step 5- The plants will get a few inches long before you replant them in your yard.

Step 6- For its fast growth, you have to place the plants two feet apart from each other. This will give you the fast growth of the plant.

What can be the growing tips for the Motherwort plants?

As you are aware of its procedure of growing, you should take care of a few tips that can help in the rapid growth of the motherwort plants:

For more such plant related-articles, you may also read, What is a Mexican Hat Plant? – Grow and Care for Ratibida columnifera

You can grow them in containers so that they can’t spread undesirably.
You have to water your plants every day when you feel they are dry til they get fully mature.
You can go for some plants too that seek the attention of the bees and pollinators.

Managing Pests and Diseases:

The motherwort herb does not get easily harmed by pests or diseases but that doesn’t mean they dont get any problems so you need to take care of the following things.

Spider Mites:

The spider mites are pretty harmful to the herb as they damage the leaves of the plant.
The chances of getting attacked by spider mites do increase during drought.
To get rid of them you need to clean the leaves with soapy water.
To get rid of them add two tablespoons of mild biodegradable liquid soap into a gallon of water, mix the solution well, and spray off on the leaves of the mites.

Powdery Mildew:

There are high chance of developing white powder fungus on the plant foliage.
In this case, you need to remove all the impacted parts of the plant and destroy the fungus as soon as possible.
The powdery mildew does affect the plant growth and vigor.
You can reduce the fungus by providing air circulation by pruning it and making sure not to overwater it.

Motherwort to Bloom:

The motherwort herb is not only famous for having unique foliage but they do have colorful flowers that are used to Bloom in the summer.
The plant blooms with tubular pink or purple flowers. They do grow in clusters of small flowers which do not need any extra attention to help them to bloom.
In the first year of growth, the plant does Bloom with a minimal number of flowers.
After the first year of growth, they do Bloom in several small flowers.

Wrapping up the context

Last but not least, the motherwort herb can help you in preventing your problematic issues. Motherwort tends to produce pinkish to purplish blossoms. This plant blooms from the middle of the summer through early fall. Motherwort tends to seek the attention of the bees and also pollinators in your garden. I hope this article will be helpful for you all.

FAQ:

How tall does Motherwort grow?

The motherwort plant can grow up to five feet in wet regions, especially on riverbanks.

How can you make motherwort tea?

For making a motherwort tea you have to follow the following points:
Add 2 teaspoons of the dry motherwort leaves to any teapot.
Now, add boiled water to it[2 cups].
Let it be like that for 6-7 minutes.
Now, strain out the leaves from the tea.
You can add any sweetener to it for better taste.

Can you smoke motherwort herb?

If you will take it in a required amount then it’s good but if you take it in excess, it can harm you and lead to respiratory problems. You can take it by burning it in any pot instead of smoking directly.

Can you grow motherwort in pots?

Yes, you can grow motherwort in pots and containers even if they grow well in the containers as there will be no worries about the undesirable spread of them. If it starts outgrowing it means that it tends to attain fast growth.