Lance-leaved Figwort

Scrophularia lanceolata

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Elaphria chalcedonia, Euphydryas phaeton
S13+S15 2 verified Eastern NA

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec and S4 (Apparently Secure) in Ontario. Nationally ranked N4 in Canada. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. In the Ottawa-Hull region, Gillett & White (1978) considered it Uncommon, and Brunton (2005) recorded it as regionally scarce at 9 sites with recent extirpation at Rideau River at Uplands.
S22 G5, N4; S26 not SARA listed; S63 Uncommon; S62 RS with extirpation noted
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Lance-leaved figwort occupies forest edges, clearings, roadsides, and thickets on dry to mesic soils. In Michigan it often forms dense stands along roadsides and railroads and thrives after disturbance. In the Ottawa region it is regionally scarce (RS) at 9 sites including Stony Swamp CA, Mer Bleue CA, and Marlborough Forest. Typical associates include Quercus alba, Solidago caesia, and Maianthemum racemosum in dry-mesic northern forest.
S7 habitats and associates; S62 RS at 9 Ottawa sites; S61 forest edges, meadows

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
Notes: OWSL lists five complementary woodland species. Figwort fits naturally into forest-edge and woodland-clearing guilds where it attracts beneficial insects alongside tall forbs. Its rhizomatous habit provides moderate ground coverage in partial shade, and deer resistance makes it a reliable guild component in browse-heavy areas.
S3 complementary plants; S46 beneficial insects; S3 deer resistant

Category: Antihemorrhagic, Blood Medicine, Cold Remedy, Dermatological Aid, Gynecological Aid, Kidney Aid
S28 Moerman Drug categories from Iroquois uses
Notes: Iroquois traditional medicine used this plant extensively. Root decoctions were taken for hemorrhage after childbirth and as a blood medicine for postpartum women. Infusions of roots prevented cramps and colds after birth. Poultices were applied for sunburn, sunstroke, and frostbite. Compound decoctions of leaves and roots treated uterine complaints, and a compound was taken for dropsy (kidney aid).
S28 Moerman 7 Iroquois uses; S61 confirms Iroquois medicinal traditions

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No documented food uses. Moerman lists 7 ethnobotanical uses for the Iroquois, all in Drug/Medicine categories with none in the Food category.
S28 7 uses all Drug/Medicine