European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

This species is classified as Least Concern due to its widespread distribution, stable populations and no major known threats.

Scrophularia nodosa is native to temperate Asia (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation) and Europe and occurs at elevations between sea level and 1,900 m. It has been introduced into North America and has become naturalised widely outside its native range (USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2012, Castroviejo et al. 2009).

Populations are known to be stable (Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora 2012).

A medium to tall hairless woodland perennial herb found in hedgerows, margins of woodland, rivers, streams and damp habitats. It has an unpleasant scent to attract wasps for pollination (Blamey and Grey-Wilson 2003). In places it is part of the subnitrophilic communities surrounding urban areas (Castroviejo et al. 2009).

The threats to this species are not known.

In folk medicine, this plant was believed to be a herbal remedy for scrofula that produced abscesses and skin sores (Forey 1991). In Europe, the whole plant is still used to treat cutaneous eruptions like abscesses and sores (Lewis and Elvin-Lewis 2003). A poultice has been used for sprains and other swellings (Allen and Hatfield 2004). A decoction can be applied externally to chronic skin diseases, gangrene, sprains, burns and inflammations. The fresh leaves can be applied as an ointment (Plants for a Future 2012). The mature seed pods of this plant contain acylated iridoid glycosides shown to stimulate the growth of human dermal fibroblasts which have ethnobotanical use for healing wounds (Stevenson et al. 2002).

A veterinary remedy is produced for scabs in pigs, farcy, expulsion of afterbirth in cows and red water fever (Allen and Hatfield 2004).

There are no conservation measures in place or needed.

It is listed as Least Concern in Denmark (NERI 2007), Estonia (eBiodiversity 2012), Germany (Ludwig and Schnittler 1996), Luxembourg (Colling 2005), Norway (Artsdatabanken 2010), Switzerland (Moser et al. 2002) and the United Kingdom (Cheffings and Farrell 2005).