Leaf
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lady's mantle
Alchemilla mollis (Buser) Rothm.
Also known as: Soft lady's mantle
Family: Rosaceae
30 to 50 cm tall
Grown in borders and beds, also as ground cover under shrubs
Flowering: May – August
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to about -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The downy foliage of lady's mantle holds dewdrops as perfect beads that never wet the leaf — a phenomenon that fascinated medieval alchemists, hence its name.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, rounded, pleated like a fan, covered with fine down that holds dewdrops as beads
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, yellow-green, grouped in light, frothy corymbs
🍎 Fruits
Small achene
🪵 Bark
Herbaceous perennial forming a dense clump, bushy perennial rootstock, no woody stem.
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the Carpathians; widely grown in France as a border perennial
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers, visited by many small foraging insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Border and ground-cover perennial, much appreciated in floral art for its light foliage, self-seeds readily from year to year
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Traditionally used in herbal medicine. This traditional use is not in itself a guarantee of effectiveness or safety.
🌿 Other Rosaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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