Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board

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Class C Noxious Weed

Yellow archangel
Lamiastrum galeobdolon
 

Image of yellow archangel plant

Other common names:  Herman's pride, dummy nettle, golden dead-nettle, weazel snout, silverfrost
 Plant family: Lamiaceae (Mint)
 Year listed:
Native to: Europe and Asia

Why is it a noxious weed?

When yellow archangel escapes from residential plantings, it becomes very invasive and forms dense mats. This plant outcompetes native species and does not provide adequate food or cover for wildlife.

How would I identify it?

General Description: Fast growing perennial that can be trailing or upright.

Leaves: Oval shaped, toothed, and hairy with typically variegated silvery-gray markenings.

Flowers:

  • Small and yellow with hooded upper petal and lipped lower petal (helmet-shaped) that appear in whorls on short stalks.
  • Blooms in April and May for short periods (approximately 7 days)

    • Stems:  Green, square and hairy (especially at the base of the stem).

    How does it reproduce?

    Reproduces vegetativeley from nodes on stem as well as stem fragments. It can also spread by seeds. It is thought that some infestations of yellow archangel in Washington are from old hanging baskets being dumped in natural settings that still had viable yellow archangel plants in them that escaped into the wild.

    Where does it grow?

    Yellow archangel can grow in sun to shade. It often escapes from residential plantings to nearby forested areas and greenbelts. It can be found in the residential setting in gardens, rockeries, and ornamental borders.

    What is the distribution in Washington State?

    ● Distribution iscurrently unknown in Washington.
    ●     If you think you may have seen this weed, please contact your county weed coordinator or us at noxiousweeds@agr.wa.gov.

    How do I control it?

    General control methods:

    Cultural: None known.

    Herbicide: Please refer to the PNW Weed Management Handbook, or contact your county noxious weed coordinator.

    Mechanical: Vines can be hand pulled with relative ease. Roots left in the soil will re-sprout and will have to be monitored and pulled. The King County Noxious Weed Control Board reports that when this plant is cut, it re-grows in denser conditions.

    Biological: None known.

    Disposal Warning: Make sure to properly discard all plant pieces in thick plastic bags and transport them to a sanitary landfill site. Composting is not an appropriate means of disposal as this may result in further distribution.

    Are there plants that may be confused with (name of weed)?

     

    White dead-nettle (Lamium album)

    For more information
    For more information, download our Written Findings.

    ● King County Noxious Weed Control Yellow Archangel Board Fact Sheet

    ● King County Noxious Weed Control Board Yellow Archangel Identification

    More Photos-Click photo to enlarge
    Feel free to download, or contact us to receive high-resolution JPEG or TIFF formats
    Upclose image of yellow archangel showing the grayish silver coloring of the folage Image of yellow archangel in East Lewis County Washington Image of yellow archangel infestation along a road side in Lewis County, Washington
    Yellow archangel leaves have a silvery- colored folage. Yellow archangel covers the forest floor in East Lewis County, WA.

    Photo courtesy of Jason Imes, Lewis County Noxious Weed Control Board    		 Yellow archangel spreading along a roadside in East Lewis County, WA.

    Photo courtesy of Jason Imes, Lewis County Noxious Weed Control Board

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