SafePlants

Lady's Mantle: A Garden Classic

Lady's Mantle, with its unassuming charm, has earned its place as a versatile and time-honored addition to gardens. Its historical and traditional use as a woman's healing herb, along with its ability to add texture and sparkle to any garden, makes it a plant worth exploring.

Considerations for Pets

• Lady's Mantle features fuzzy leaves that can hold water droplets.

Considerations for Children

• Lady's Mantle features fuzzy leaves that can hold water droplets.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Alchemilla (various species, including Alchemilla mollis and Alchemilla vulgaris).
• Common Names: Lady's Mantle, Common Lady's Mantle.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Genus: Alchemilla
• Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)
• Alchemilla vulgaris
• Alchemilla xanthochlora

Distribution and Habitat

• Lady's Mantle is found in Britain, especially in colder, high-lying areas.
• It is also native to Europe, temperate Asia, and North America.
• It grows both in the wild and in cultivated gardens.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Lady's Mantle is an herbaceous perennial.
• It typically forms a basal foliage mound, growing to about 6-12 inches tall.
• The plant can reach 10-12 inches in height and spread 18-24 inches wide.
• It has palmately lobed basal leaves.
• The leaves are rounded, scalloped, velvety soft, and often olive-green in color.
• Lady's Mantle produces sprays of tiny, yellow or greenish flowers.
• Alchemilla mollis has lobed, densely hairy, chartreuse foliage that is crimped at the edges.

Cultivation

• Lady's Mantle is easy to grow and fully hardy.
• It tolerates most soils as long as there is moisture.
• It thrives in sun or partial shade.

Quirky Facts

• The name Alchemilla comes from the Arab word "alkemelych."
• Its scalloped leaves catch rain or dew drops, making them look dusted with jewels.