How to Grow and Care for Lady’s Mantle

Lady’s mantle is a perennial ground cover with large circular scallop-edged leaves and sparse chartreuse flower clusters. It’s planted as a mounding ground cover under trees or other difficult areas. A mass planting of lady’s mantle is eye-catching when in bloom, largely losing its impact after flowering but keeping its foliage lush and intact. It adapts well to any soil though it prefers a bit of acidity. Lady’s mantle grows well in shade and full sun locations, and most temperatures but in hot climates, it prefers some shade.

Read more about growing a lady’s mantle plant in your yard.

Lady’s Mantle Care

Lady’s mantle needs minimal care, including these basic requirements:

• Plant potted lady’s mantle in groups spaced about 12 inches apart. They will fill in by self-seeding.
• Use any ordinary medium-moisture garden soil for lady’s mantle plants.
• Deadhead regularly to control the plant’s rampant self-seeding.
• Rake debris around the plants to prevent moisture from fostering fungal diseases and crown rot.

Light

Lady’s mantle grows extremely well in full sun to partial shade and will tolerate near-complete shade. The plant prefers a little afternoon shade in hot climates to avoid sunscald on the leaves.

Soil

Lady’s mantle isn’t particular about soil quality but does best in slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5.​

Water

These plants are drought-tolerant once established and don’t like wet soil. However, regular watering is required in high heat or full sun to prevent the leaves from turning dry and brown. Mulch around the plant, but not up to the stem, to cool the soil and preserve soil moisture. Lady’s mantle tends to hug the ground, so keep the mulch from covering the plant.

Temperature and Humidity

Lady’s mantle adapts to many climates but often needs plenty of shade in hot regions.

Areas with high humidity may experience some fungus problems, particularly if the crown remains damp. Good air circulation and allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings should help if fungal disease is a problem.

Fertilizer

It’s rarely necessary to fertilize lady’s mantle plants unless you have poor soil. If so, a handful of slow-release organic fertilizer can be mixed in at planting time and reapplied annually.

Types of Lady’s Mantle

Several popular named cultivars of lady’s mantle are available:

• Alchemilla mollis ‘Thriller’: This cultivar has a more upright growth habit (up to 2 feet) and larger leaves than most other lady’s mantles.
• Alchemilla mollis ‘Auslese’: This type features upright lime-green flowers and larger leaves.
• Alchemilla mollis ‘Irish Silk’: This cultivar grows up to 2 feet tall and blooms profusely.
• Alchemilla mollis ‘Robusta’: This variety has larger leaves and grows up to 2 feet tall and wide.

For gardeners wanting a more diminutive plant, try a related species, Alchemilla erythropoda (dwarf lady’s mantle), which grows just 5 to 6 inches tall.

Pruning

Lady’s mantle can easily grow out of control due to self-seeding. To prevent this, deadhead the flowers as soon as they wither—or cut them in bloom for a vase to add airiness to an arrangement. If volunteer plants grow in an undesired area, pull them up quickly. The entire plant can be cut back in late summer, if necessary; this will encourage new growth and, in some cases, a second bloom.

Propagating Lady’s Mantle

It’s very easy to propagate lady’s mantle. Carefully dig up tiny volunteer plants and move them to the desired location. Or, dig up and divide the mother plant and relocate the divisions. Take these steps:

1. Dig up the entire plant with a shovel in the spring through late summer.
2. Separate the root clump with a sharp knife or spade into three equal pieces. Each piece should have plenty of vegetation attached.
3. Plant the pieces immediately in new garden locations and water thoroughly.
4. Continue watering every day until the new plants are well-established.

How to Grow Lady’s Mantle From Seed

Grow lady’s mantle by direct sowing outdoors after all danger of frost. Barely cover the seeds and keep them well watered.

Here’s how to start the seeds indoors:

1. Start seeds indoors a couple of months before your transplant date.
2. Watch for seeds to germinate in about three to four weeks for the seeds to germinate.
3. When the plants reach 4 inches high, plant them outdoors. Keep the transplants 12 inches apart; they will quickly fill in the empty spaces.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Lady’s mantle is resistant to most common pests and diseases. Although no plant is completely deer-proof, deer (and rabbits) are less likely to eat the velvety leaves of a lady’s mantle plant.

Common Problems with Lady’s Mantle

Lady’s mantle is a very sturdy, durable plant but a few problems are sometimes noticed.

Scorched Leaves

Too much harsh sun, especially in hot climates, causes the leaves on lady’s mantle to scorch around the edges. Remove the plants and replace them with a more sun-tolerant species if there’s no shade. Or, try providing extra water, perhaps even daily, to help the sun-drenched plants survive hot weather. Sun scorch is usually not a problem in cooler climates.

Rampant Spread

The most common issue with lady’s mantle is its habit of spreading too vigorously. Curtail the problem by patiently removing the flower stalks before they go to seed and removing volunteers when you see them. Withholding water can also reduce the overall rate of blooming.

Plants Become Shabby in Late Summer

If your lady’s mantle plants become sparse and unkempt as the summer progresses, shear them back severely. It’s okay to mow them down with a lawnmower. This may prompt a new flush of growth, resulting in a lush look in the fall. Don’t worry about this harsh treatment since these plants are not easy to kill.