# yellow archangel (*Lamium galeobdolon*) The yellow archangel is a cheerful plant with bright yellow flowers. It grows close to the ground and has soft, green leaves. You can find it in shady places, making it a lovely surprise in the forest! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Yellow Dead-nettle ![yellow archangel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gele_dovenetel_DSCF3599.JPG&width=800) Photo: Teun Spaans, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gele_dovenetel_DSCF3599.JPG) ## Appearance The yellow archangel has striking two-lipped bright yellow flowers, often streaked with orange-brown, emerging from whorls around its square stems. Its distinctive green leaves are deeply veined and patterned with silvery-grey blotches, making it visually stand out on the forest floor. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Lamiaceae - **Genus:** Lamium ## Interesting facts - It can create dense mats, acting like a living, patterned green carpet across the forest floor! - Its square stems tell you it's related to mint, but this plant doesn't smell minty at all! - The plant got its 'archangel' name because its flowers look like a helmet with a visor! - Yellow archangel can grow almost anywhere, even climbing over rocks and walls like a green waterfall! ## Special abilities - **Groundcover Power:** Yellow archangel can blanket large areas using fast-growing underground stems that help it outcompete other plants for light and space. - **Shade Thriver:** Yellow archangel has adapted to low light, allowing it to grow robustly in deep shade where many other plants struggle to survive. - **Ant Courier Service:** Yellow archangel's seeds have a fatty 'treat' (elaiosome) that ants love, so ants carry the seeds away, helping the plant spread far and wide. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-60 cm - **Spread:** 50-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers - **Symbiotic with:** Red wood ant (*Formica rufa*) — Carries seeds for their nutritious elaiosome - **Eaten by:** Spanish slug (*Arion lusitanicus*) — Feeds on its leaves, especially young ones ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch wild plants unless an adult says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify yellow archangel? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is yellow archangel? 30-60 cm ### How wide does yellow archangel spread? 50-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on yellow archangel? 1-2 cm ### When does yellow archangel bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is yellow archangel edible? Yes ### Is yellow archangel toxic? None ### What is yellow archangel's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Cleveland Cultural Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cleveland-cultural-gardens) — Ohio, US · Park - [Kennebunkport Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kennebunkport-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Zoologická zahrada Děčín - Pastýřská stěna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoologick-zahrada-d-n-past-sk-st-na) — Ústí nad Labem Region, CZ · Zoo - [August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/august-a-busch-memorial-conservation-area) — Missouri, US · Nature Reserve - [Colonial Williamsburg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colonial-williamsburg) — Virginia, US · Museum - [Columbus Near East Side District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbus-near-east-side-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District [View all places to see yellow archangel](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-archangel) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Yellow Archangel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-archangel)