Yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) is a spreading flowering perennial related to the various species of the Lamium genus in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. In fact, yellow archangel was at one point assigned to the same genus as those species but has since been separated (Lamiastrum translates as "resembling lamium"). In the trade, this plant is often still known as Lamium galeobolon.L. galeobdolon bears a similarity to the Lamium species, including dead nettle, but yellow archangel is a more upright plant with bright yellow flowers—the flower color and wing-shaped leaves are the source of the common name. Some cultivars may be evergreen or semi-evergreen in warm regions. Generally reaching about 1 to 2 feet in height, the horizontal spread of yellow archangel plants depends on the cultivar—though this is a somewhat moot point since the plant spreads so quickly by colonizing through runners.The tube-shaped, yellow flowers bloom in mid-spring or in late spring, depending on where you live. These shade plants are grown just as much for their foliage, which gives off a minty fragrance when crushed. The species plant has plain green leaves, but the cultivars sold at garden centers bear more attractive variegated leaves.
