Flowers and Foliage
Common Name: silky lady's mantle
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Rosaceae
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 1.25 feet
Bloom Time: May to July
Bloom Description: Pale yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Deer, Clay Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist, well-draining soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a range of soil types and growing conditions including clay soils and dappled shade conditions. Intolerant of wet, water-logged soils or long periods of drought. Deadhead before seeds form to reduce self-seeding. Cut back plants in late summer after blooming to encourage a new flush of foliage. Hardy in Zones 3-8.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Alchemilla sericata, commonly called silky lady's mantle, is a herbaceous perennial endemic to rocky ledges, scrublands, and pastures in the alpine and subalpine regions of the Caucasus. Mature plants will reach up to 1' tall with an equal width and will spread via underground rhizomes to form small colonies. The grey-green leaves have toothed margins and seven, rounded lobes. They are covered in a layer of soft hairs and can reach up to 3" wide. The upright, branched inflorescences bear rounded clusters of small, yellow flowers in summer.
Origin uncertain, perhaps the Latinized version of an Arabic name.
The specific epithet sericata means "silky" in reference to the soft hairs on the surface of the leaves and stems.
'Gold Strike' is a compact, mounding selection of silky lady's mantle that features grey-green, lobed foliage with a soft, fuzzy texture and loose sprays of pale yellow flowers. The main bloom period is from late spring into summer. Mature clumps will reach 12" tall and spread to fill a 16" area.
Problems
No known pest or disease problems. Can self-seed and spread by underground rhizomes. Deadhead flowering stalks before they set seed to reduce spread. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Uses
A versatile ground cover that can be used in borders fronts, gravel gardens, cottage gardens, as a path edger or for underplanting roses and other shrubs.