Plant library · Perennial Flowers
Alchemilla mollis
Lady’s mantle is a low, leafy perennial that makes a soft chartreuse presence at the front of a border. Its scalloped foliage forms a broad mound, then carries frothy flowers in late spring to early summer. At about 1½ feet tall, it stays below most border perennials while giving the planting a clear, continuous edge.
Use lady’s mantle to run a relaxed green line along a path, bed edge, or the base of shrubs where its 2-foot spread can overlap visually without blocking circulation. Set it just inside the planting bed rather than tight against paving, leaving a reachable strip for trimming and cleanup. It also works in repeated drifts beneath taller plants, where the flowers can knit separate clumps into one composition.[1][2]
Plant on 18-inch centers for a joined planting that reads as an edge or low cover. Each plant can mature about 2 feet wide, so neighboring mounds will meet and soften together rather than remain as isolated circles. Along a path, allow the foliage to lean inward only where the remaining clear walking width is still comfortable; otherwise, shift the row farther back into the bed.
Give this perennial partial shade and regular moisture, especially in a border that dries quickly after rain. Moist, well-drained ground supports a fuller planting, while hot, dry full-sun positions can scorch the foliage. Use it where irrigation reaches the root zone or where surrounding planting helps keep the soil evenly moist without leaving it waterlogged.[1][2][3]
The main display comes in late spring to early summer, when chartreuse flower sprays rise above the foliage. After flowering, trim tired stems and foliage if the clump loses its neat outline; fresh growth can follow. The plant dies back for winter and returns in spring, so do not rely on it to hold a bed edge through the dormant season.[2][3]
Leave enough room around each group to reach the plants after bloom, because removing spent flower stems keeps the edge tidier and limits self-sowing. In favorable, moist sites, seedlings can appear beyond the original clump. Treat it as a perennial that may need occasional editing, rather than placing it where new plants would be difficult to remove from gravel, paving joints, or tightly packed companions.[1][2][3]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.