Downy Wood Mint

Blephilia ciliata

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: SE
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone
Rarity Notes: Critically imperiled in Ontario (S1) and nationally in Canada (N1). Globally secure (G5) across its US range. Not SARA-listed. Peripheral in Canada, with Ontario representing the northern limit of the species' range. NatureServe lists native subnational occurrences in 14 jurisdictions, mostly mid-Atlantic and midwestern US states.
S22+S26
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S1 – Critically Imperiled
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A rare dry woodland herb of oak savannas, limestone barrens, and thin-soiled clearings in eastern North America. In Ontario it is critically imperiled (S1), reaching the northern edge of its range. Nearest preserved specimens are from Vermont. Characteristic associates include prairie-savanna species such as Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans, and Schizachyrium scoparium on calcareous or granitic substrates.
S7+S22+S48+S29

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
Notes: A strongly aromatic herb that may act as a pest confuser, reducing the ability of herbivorous insects to locate nearby crops by scent masking. Its compact clumping habit and slow rhizomatous spread make it suitable as an understory guild member in dry woodland or savanna plantings. Tolerates juglone, enabling placement under black walnut.
S29+S3

Category: Analgesic
S28 Cherokee Drug, Analgesic
Notes: Cherokee traditional use: poultice of leaves applied externally for headache (Hamel & Chiltoskey 1975). Single medicinal use recorded in Moerman. PFAF rates medicinal value 1/5.
S28+S29

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: PFAF rates edibility 3/5. Minty leaves can be eaten raw or used in teas and to prepare sauces and drinks. However, Moerman records no food use by indigenous peoples, and this is not a commonly cultivated culinary herb.
S29+S28