Hedge Hyssop (Gratiola officinalis) ‘Summer Snowflake’ - for Shallow Margins & Bog-Edge (Peat-Free, Pesticide-Free)

A low, rhizomatous marginal with neat, lance-shaped leaves and dainty white (sometimes faintly blushed) tubular flowers from June to August. Perfect at the front of the shelf (0-3 cm over crown) or in consistently damp bog-edge soil, where it forms tidy patches 10-25 cm tall, providing fine-scale cover for amphibians and invertebrates at the warm rim. Flowers are visited by small bees and hoverflies in still, sunny weather.
Native status: European native; historically recorded in Britain but scarce in the wild here. Garden-safe and non-invasive when managed. Not an aquatic - plant in shallow margin or damp soil.

Where it thrives

Light: Full sun to light/partial shade
Moisture/Zone: Shallow marginal (0-3 cm) or bog-edge/damp border; mineral subsoil/loam topped with washed gravel; keep evenly moist
Setting: Front of shelf, barrel-pond lip, damp border pockets; pairs well with water forget-me-not, lesser spearwort and compact sedges

Planting & care

• Plant into a small nursery basket or directly into the shelf/bog bed with peat-free mineral loam; top with washed gravel

• Keep consistently moist; trim lightly after flowering to keep clumps neat

• Can creep slowly by short rhizomes; divide small sections in spring to spread or contain

Safety (important & honest):
Toxic if ingested (all parts). Handle with care; wash hands after gardening and keep away from children and pets. Keep plant material and soil out of natural watercourses.

Truth-first wildlife note:
A fine-textured, low marginal with modest nectar value - choose it for delicate summer bloom and rim cover, then pair with high-value natives to boost forage across the season.

Joel says…
“Sit hedge hyssop right at the front edge where its small white trumpets show. Keep it evenly moist and it’ll stitch the shelf without fuss.”