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Common Figwort

Common Figwort

Scrophularia nodosa

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How common: Very common

Common Figwort is an upright perennial of moist, shady places. It is widespread across much of Europe and parts of western and central Asia. You can spot it by its tiny green flowers topped with dark reddish brown, giving the plant a curious, pouch‑like look.

Did you know?

  • The flowers have a strong smell and are often visited by wasps.
  • Its stems are square, a handy clue when feeling the plant between your fingers.

About the species

Identification

Upright perennial 30–100 cm tall. Stem smooth and square in cross‑section; the edges may look slightly winged. Leaves grow in opposite pairs, are oval with a heart‑shaped or rounded base and have sharp teeth. The many flowers sit in a long, branched top cluster. Each flower is small (about 1 cm), rounded and pouch‑like: mostly green with a dark reddish‑brown top part. Fruits are small dry pods. The mix of a smooth, square stem and these tiny green‑and‑maroon, pouch‑like flowers makes it easy to tell from other woodland plants. Flowers in Finland from June to August.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

herb-rich forest

Flowering

Jun–Aug

About the habitat

Grows in rich, damp woods and thickets, on rocky groves, woodland edges and along ditches. Common up to about the Jyväskylä area and most abundant in the south; becomes scarcer northwards, reaching roughly the Raahe–Lieksa line, with occasional records as far as southern Lapland.

Sources

Photo: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scrophularia nodosa8.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Kasvitieteen retkeily Ahvenanmaalle - Nåtö ja Västerskog, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39582

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39582

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syyl%C3%A4juuri

See also