Dracocephalum moldavica Seeds | Dragonhead
LATIN NAME: Dracocephalum moldavica
COMMON NAME: Dragonhead
Plant Profile
Dragonhead is an annual of the mint family, 40-70 cm tall, with square stems, toothed aromatic leaves and spikes of violet-blue flowers with a distinctive hooded upper lip that gives the plant its name. The flowers open over six weeks in July and August, and the whole plant has a lemon-mint scent when brushed.
The foliage is bright green and neat, and the plant holds it until frost, which is longer than most annuals manage. It is a good candidate for a mixed border, a herb garden or a cutting patch, and it is unusual enough that visitors ask what it is.
Dracocephalum moldavica comes from Siberia and Central Asia, and it has been grown in European gardens since the sixteenth century. In its native range it grows in dry, stony ground, and in cultivation it prefers the same conditions: sun, drainage and a lean soil.
Science & Biotechnology
The essential oil is dominated by citral, geraniol and citronellol, which is why the leaves smell of lemon rather than of mint. Those compounds are the same ones that give lemon balm and lemongrass their scent, and they are the basis of the plant’s use as a tea and as a flavouring.
The genus name refers to the shape of the flower, which is said to resemble a dragon’s head. The hooded upper lip is a pollinator guide: bumblebees push into the flower, brushing against the anthers, and the hood protects the nectar from rain and from small insects.
Dragonhead is one of the few annual Lamiaceae that is grown for cut flowers. Its stems are stiff, its spikes are long, and the blue holds in water for a week, which is unusual for a mint-family annual.
Uses & Benefits
The leaves make a lemon-scented tea, and they can be used to flavour fruit drinks, vinegar and desserts. The flowers are edible and make a blue garnish. In Russian and Central Asian cooking the plant is used as a substitute for lemon balm, and it appears in traditional teas for digestion.
In the garden it is a bee and butterfly plant, flowering in the gap between the early perennials and the late-summer asters. It cuts well, dries reasonably and self-sows lightly in a warm garden. Commercially the seed is sold to herb growers and to cut-flower producers, and the plant is a minor essential-oil crop in eastern Europe.
Growing from Seed
Sow from March to May at 18-20°C, covering lightly, and germinate in ten to fourteen days. Seedlings come up thickly and should be moved into individual pots as soon as the first true leaf opens. Direct sowing in May also works, since the plant establishes quickly.
Thin or plant out at 25 cm apart in full sun and well-drained soil. Water until established, then only in drought; rich soil produces soft growth and fewer flowers. Pinch the tips once for a bushier plant. Harvest leaves before flowering for tea, and cut spikes when half the flowers are open. Leave one plant to seed for next year.
Our Take
A lemon-scented mint with an unusual hooded flower and a long season, worth growing for tea and for the bees. Sow a short row and it will look after itself.
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