There’s little maintenance required for this cottage garden favorite.
There are more than 300 species in theAlchemillagenus.
Ladys mantle (Alchemilla mollis)is by far the most popular one grown in gardens.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
This classic perennial is an easy way to add charm to your cottage garden.
Initially, the flowers sit above the foliage until they become too heavy and droop down gracefully.
The soil can be slightly acidic, neutral, or alkaline.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
In addition to its flowers, lady’s mantle is prized for its foliage.
Shallow leaves of cool green with softly scalloped edges are covered with soft hairs, creating a velvety appearance.
The foliage makes a nice coarse-textured groundcover that looks attractive when planted underneathsmall trees.
Credit: Matthew Benson
It also works well in rock gardens.
Backfill the hole and gently tamp down the soil around the base.
Space plants 18 inches apart.
Credit: Karlis Grants
In high humidity, the plant might get some fungal diseases.
Fertilizer
Fertilizing is generally not necessary for lady’s mantle unless you have exceptionally poor soil.
Deadheading the flowers is also a good idea to prevent ladys mantle from reseeding.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Cutting the plant back in the summer and watering it can produce new fall growth.
Lady’s mantle overwinters better if the leaves remain on the plant because they provide insulation.
In the early spring, remove any brown and crispy leaves to make room for new growth.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
However, despite its winter-hardiness, in a pot the roots are exposed and subject to freeze-and-thaw cycles.
While the plant should definitely remain outdoors during the winter, the roots need protection.
Pests and Problems
Ladys mantle is not bothered by pests and diseases.
Rabbits and deer also leave it alone.
In strong sun exposure or dry weather, the plant looks ragged but will recover when the weather changes.
Dig up the entire plant with all its roots.
Types of Lady’s Mantle
Alpine Lady’s Mantle
A miniature version ofA.
mollis,this has smaller pleated leaves with silver edging on slowly creeping plants with the same blooms.
It grows in tufted mounds 12 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide.
In drier sites, however, the leaves will scorch in full sun.
It will spread slowly over time where well-situated.
Most commercially available types are complex hybrids.
Coral Bells
Exciting new selections with incredible foliage patternshave put coral bells on the map.
The low clumps of long-stemmed evergreen or semi-evergreen lobed foliage make coral bells fine groundcover plants.
They enjoy humus-rich, moisture-retaining soil.
Beware of heaving in areas with very cold winters.
Ligularia
Add a little sunshine to your gardenwith imposing ligularia.
Its golden flower spikes or flattened heads of yellow daisy-like flowers shine brightly in sun or part shade.
The bold leaves are kidney-shaped or jagged along the edges.
Position ligularia so it has a little shade during the heat of the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
It tends to reseed itself, but its not considered invasive.
To prevent it from reseeding, remove the flower heads after the bloom.
The plant is considered a semi-evergreenit loses some but not all of its leaves in the winter.
