Lady's Mantle

Layers of yellow green, scalloped leaves mass together creating a lush effect. It is different to the more common form as the leaves are shorter and there are many more flowers, for up to four months. The handsome leaves are just as at home in a cottage setting as they are in a formal garden.

The leaves have soft hairs that capture rain and dew drops, these then shine like jewels in the sun’s rays.

From late spring to autumn, the handsome foliage of Lady's Mantle is complimented by loose cymes of lime green flowers. The flowers are suitable for picking.

Grow Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla xanthochlora) as a ground cover, in a pot, beneath shrubs, in rock gardens or towards the front of your beds. Lady's Mantle grows well in part shade and should be protected from hot summer sun. Plant in moist, humus rich, well drained soil for best results. Young foliage should be protected from slugs and snails.

Prune the spent foliage of Lady's Mantle in autumn/winter to keep plants tidy. Flowers will set seed but are not invasive, the plants will ramble gently.

Lady's Mantle has been around for hundreds of years. In ancient times the Saxon's regarded the dew captured in the leaves as magical. This belief held, and Alchemists came to highly regard the plant, and the 'magical' dew it collected and it is from them that the botanical name of Alchemilla was taken.

Alchemilla is a herb and it has a number of uses, many for women's reproductive health and during labour. Today it is still used in some herbal teas. You can eat the leaves in a salad but they are quite bitter. (NB Pregnant women should not consume this plant).