Illustration
Lady's Mantle
Alchemilla mollis
Lady's Mantle blooms from May through July.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Lady's Mantle
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 16 in tall and 24 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Lady's Mantle. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Lady's Mantle
Plant Lady's Mantle in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 8, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Lady's Mantle get?
16 intall5 ft 7 inan adult24 inwideSee Lady's Mantle in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Lady's Mantle
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Lady's Mantle about 24 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Lady's Mantle to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Lady's Mantle's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 10 published sources on July 31, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Perennials.com plant profileheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horti...height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Walters Gardensheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- North Creek Nurseriesheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, spread, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- The Morton Arboretumheight, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenPlant Finderheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois Extensionheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Lady's Mantle
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Fine hairs on the pleated leaves catch rain and dew and hold it as near-perfect silvery droplets, the plant's most distinctive ornamental trait. per NC State
Zone rating hinges on heat
Sources split on the warm limit: some say zone 8, one caps it at zone 7. The gap is heat, not cold; in zone 8 give afternoon shade and moisture. per NC State and University of Illinois
Is it drought tolerant?
It splits by standard: an established plant survives dry shade under trees, but it is not xeric. In dry or sunny sites the leaves scorch, so keep it evenly moist. per Penn State and Wisconsin
Self-seeds; shear back after bloom
It self-sows freely and can turn weedy. Shearing the whole plant back after flowering fixes both problems: it removes seed heads before they drop and refreshes the tired foliage. per NC State and Wisconsin
Deer and rabbit resistant
Reliably resistant to both deer and rabbits: multiple sources report deer leave it alone, and it also ranks among the perennials that rabbits seldom damage. per NC State and Iowa State
Few pests or diseases
Notably trouble-free, with no serious insect or disease problems. Poor mid-summer foliage is almost always leaf scorch from dry sun, not a pest, so fix the siting rather than spray. per NC State
Great cut and dried flowers
Frothy sprays of tiny chartreuse flowers rise above the foliage in early summer. They are prized both fresh-cut and dried for arrangements, and a classic cottage-garden edging plant. per NC State
What pairs well with Lady's Mantle
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Azalea
Shares part shade and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Camellia
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in midwinter, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 7 to 8.
Periwinkle
Shares part shade and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Serviceberry
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its white flowers settle the green.
Pachysandra
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border.
Summersweet
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; both are strong pollinator plants; taller at 6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Bugleweed
Shares part shade and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Northern Sea Oats
Shares part shade and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
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