How to Grow and Care for Lady’s Mantle in Your Garden

Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis), also known as the garden lady’s mantle, is a flowering, clump-forming perennial. This plant blooms in delicate yellow flowers that look similar to baby’s breath, making them popular fillers in flower arrangements. It has broad, gray-green leaves with scalloped edges which makes it a popular choice for ground cover. Some varieties of this plant can grow up to a height of one and a half feet with a two-foot spread.

Lady’s mantle is part of the rosaceae plant family, but several different cultivars have a few distinctions between them. Aside from A. mollis, here are some popular varieties of lady’s mantle.

1. 1. Common lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris): Common lady’s mantle is very similar to A. mollis, but it is slightly larger and less vigorous. The common lady’s mantle often grows on river banks and mountain slopes, and in the past, it was used for medicinal purposes.
2. 2. Dwarf lady’s mantle (Alchemilla erythropoda): Dwarf lady’s mantle only grows up to seven inches high with soft hairs on their leaves that serve as a natural water repellant, making it a useful ground cover plant.
3. 3. Alpine lady’s mantle (Alchemilla alpina): Native to Europe and southern Greenland, Alpine lady’s mantle plant can grow up to eight inches tall and 12 inches wide. The leaves of this type of lady’s mantle have a silver-white outline and have spork-like ends.
4. 4. Thinstem lady’s mantle (Alchemilla filicaulis): This herbaceous perennial is a non-woody variety of lady’s mantle with broad leaves. It can even grow up to sixteen inches tall.
5. 5. Hairy lady’s mantle (Alchemilla monticola): As its name would suggest, this flowering version of lady’s mantle has leaves covered in dense hairs.

Lady’s mantle thrives best in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8, and should be planted outdoors in early spring after the threat of frost has passed, or in the fall for spring bloom. Keep in mind that new lady’s mantle plants can take up to two years to grow.

Lady’s mantle is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to propagate from seed. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to grow lady’s mantles in your home garden.

1. 1. Prepare your planting spot. Lady’s mantle prefers chalky, sandy soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. In cooler climates, the lady’s mantle does well in full sun, but it should be planted in partial shade in warmer climates. Loosen up the soil to ensure that it is well-draining.
2. 2. Sow your seeds. Sow your lady’s mantle seeds in rich, moist soil with the seeds just barely covered in soil. Space your plants at least twelve inches apart from each other to allow for proper air circulation.
3. 3. Water and mulch your lady’s mantle. Give your lady’s mantle seeds a weekly watering while they’re germinating beneath the soil. Once the plants are established, spread a layer of mulch a few inches away from the flower stems to help conserve moisture.

Lady’s mantle is an easy-to-grow, self-seeding plant that is also low-maintenance. However, you can follow a few basic care tips to take care of these hardy perennial flowers.

1. 1. Trim your plant. Like many perennial plants, lady’s mantle self-seeds, making it easy to regrow. However, a self-seeding plant can become invasive if you let it run wild. Cut back your flowering stems before they go to seed to prevent them from taking over your garden.
2. 2. Divide your plants. Your established lady’s mantle plants should be dug up and divided, or split into smaller pieces for replanting every few years. Dividing your plants can help keep them under control, especially when using as a border piece or in a curated garden.
3. 3. Watch for the sun. Lady’s mantle is frost-tolerant and largely resistant to pests and disease, though they are not drought-tolerant. If exposed to too much direct sunlight, lady’s mantle may suffer leaf scorch. Water your plants at least once a week if you live in a sunny or hotter climate to keep the soil properly moist, or plant them in part shade.

Grow your own garden with Ron Finley, the self-described "Gangster Gardener." Get the MasterClass Annual Membership and learn how to cultivate fresh herbs and vegetables, keep your house plants alive, and use compost to make your community—and the world—a better place.