Common Figwort

Common Figwort - Scrophularia nodosa

Alternative names
Figwort
Description

Medium to tall hairless plant. Stems square but without pronounced wings. Leaves ovate, acute and toothed. Flowers greenish with a purple brown upper lip.

Similar Species

Water Figwort (S auriculata) and Green Figwort (S umbrosa)

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)

Square stems, not winged.  Leaves acute. Calyx-lobes have a narrow scarious border (i.e. a thin papery whitish edge)

Recording advice

A photo of whole plant, including leaves as well as flowers.

Habitat

Hedgerows and woodland preferring damper places.

When to see it

Flowering June to September.

Life History

Perennial

UK Status

Quite frequent and widespread throughout most of Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 152 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records

Photo of the association

Figwort Sawfly

The larvae of the Figwort Sawfly (Tenthredo scrophulariae) are a dusty greyish white with black spots, and a generally creased appearance. They feed on plants in the Figwort family.

Photo of the association

Amauromyza (Cephalomyza) verbasci

The larva of the Agromyzid fly Amauromyza verbasci causes a blotch mine on the upper surfaces of the leaves of Mullein, Common Figwort and Butterfly-bush. The mine is pale initially but turns brown later. Frass in sizeable dispersed grains.