This is a very common plant and is typically found in marshy ground, the edges of streams or wet meadows. It can grow to almost 2m in height so is well named Great Willowherb. The flowers are large and quite showy for a genus which has few really good looking flowers. Also known as Codlins and Cream you can't really mistake it for another Willowherb.

E. hirsutum has an interesting distribution for it is solidly recorded everywhere in England, Wales and Ireland and southern Scotland but suddenly stops being common around Perthshire. North of this it is usually found only at the coast.

Red Rocks marshes, Wirral, Cheshire 28th June 2005

Added on 26th October 2005, updated 30th December 2008, updated 29th March 2010, updated 21st July 2013