Hesperis matronalis

Native to Europe and western Asia. Introduced as an ornamental. Escaped cultivation and now naturalized in North America.

Roadsides, open woods, wood margins, moist bottomlands, disturbed sites. Full to partial sun.

May to September

Purple, fading to pink or white

2′ to 3′

This is a 2′ to 3′ tall, showy, erect, biennial or short-lived perennial forb that rises from a taproot.

The stems are erect, hairy, and often sparingly branched above the middle.

The leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, 1″ to 4¾″ long, and ¾″ to 1½″ wide, becoming progressively smaller as they ascend the stem. The lower leaves are connected to the stem on a short leaf stalk. The upper leaves are stalkless. The blade tapers to a point at the tip and is rounded or wedge-shaped, but never heart-shaped or indented, at the base. The margins have small, widely spaced teeth. The upper and lower surfaces are hairy.

The inflorescence is a loose, unbranched, 6″ to 12″ long cluster at the end of the stem and upper branches.

The flowers are ¾″ to 1″ across, on hairy, 1″ long stalks. They have 4 rounded, purple petals that are clawed at the base. There are 4 sepals, each with a sac at the base, that are erect and form a mock corolla tube around the petal claws. There are 6 stamens, the four longer ones plainly visible at the center of the corolla. The flowers are fragrant, becoming more fragrant at night.

The fruit is a 2″ to 4″ long, narrow pod with seeds in one row. The pod is constricted between the seeds. It is widely spreading on a stout stalk.

Money plant (Lunaria annua) lower leaves are heart-shaped at the base. The fruits are coin-shaped pods.

Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii) is a shorter plant. The leaves are opposite, narrower, and untoothed leaves. The flowers have five petals.