Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Another thank you to Jacki of Oregon, aka jacki-dee@Flickr for sharing one of her photographs with us (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
There’s plenty of confusion surrounding the name of this plant; a glance at search engine results reveals Stachys ‘Hidalgo’, Stachys coccinea ‘Hidalgo’, Stachys albotomentosa, Stachys albotomentosa ‘Hidalgo’, and, for good measure, even Stachys hidalgo (which has never been scientifically published). I’ve opted to use the name tentatively accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society. The common name is scarlet hedgenettle or seven-up plant.

So if it’s a hybrid/cultivar, do we know the species making up the hybrid/cultivar? Or is it just the general “Horticultural Origin”?
The photo itself is really nice – emphasizes the subject while presenting a pleasing window onto a bright and colorful garden.
ooooo — I want that plant in my garden? Does anyone know if Hidalgo self-seeds as prolifically as Stachys lantana does?
This the most beautiful Stachys I have ever seen. I only have Stachys albotomentosa which is small and has pale yellow flowers. Thank you for such a lovely photo.
Margaret-Rae
WOW! It’s lovely, must get one and it’s a stunning shot too!
I had this plant in my container garden for several years. Best plant ever. And hummingbirds adore it. =^)