Image to followAI-generated illustrationHeracleum sphondylium
Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sphondylium
FamilyGenus: Heracleumnative in Germany
About this species
A native herbaceous perennial, Heracleum sphondylium grows to about one metre tall and bears broad leaves and white umbels from June to August. It thrives in sunny spots with fresh, moderately moist, nutrient-rich soil and appears in meadows, grassland and woodland edges.
Annual cycle
New growth appears in spring; the flowering period runs from June into August. Seeds ripen in late summer and autumn, after which the plant dies back to ground level for winter.
Standort & Merkmale
Light
Sonne
Moisture
Frisch (Mäßig feucht)
Soil
Starkzehrer (Nährstoffreicher/Fetter Boden)
Flowering period
Jun – Aug
Soil reaction
Mäßig sauer bis neutral
Bioregion
Continental
Growth form
Krautige Pflanze
Woodiness
Nicht verholzt
Leaf type
Breitblättrig
Plant height
0.998 m
Morphological traits: TRY ID3 (CC BY 3.0) & TRY ID81 (CC BY)
Pflege & Anbau
Plant in full sun with moisture-retentive, fertile soil. It will naturalise readily in wildflower areas or cottage gardens. Remove spent flower heads after blooming to control self-seeding.
Scientific profile
Heracleum sphondylium is a broad-leaved herbaceous plant in the Apiaceae family. Typically reaching around one metre in height, it produces large, flat clusters of white flowers from early summer through to August. The plant prefers full sun and grows best on fresh, moderately moist, nutrient-rich soils. In Great Britain it is native and commonly found in meadows, fertile grassland, arable margins and woodland edges.
Sources & data origin
•FloraWeb / BfN
•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)
•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)
•TRY Categorical Traits (ID3) — Kattge et al. (2012), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.3 (CC BY 3.0)
•TRY Global Spectrum (ID81) — Díaz et al. (2016/2021), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.81 (CC BY)
•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)
All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible terms. Attribution according to license conditions. Full source overview →