Leaves laced with gray or purple hold through the year, then small flowers open in white, purple or pink depending on the variety. Dead-nettle (Lamium maculatum) spreads fast enough to carpet path edges, dress a mound or fill the shade beneath a tree; give it cool, rather shade-covered soil and it needs virtually no care.
| Name | Lamium maculatum |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Type | perennial |
| Height | 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun to shade |
| Soil | rich and well drained |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | mid-spring to early summer |
Whether white, purple or yellow, it is also the perfect choice for forest underbrush and shaded spots. It’s different from other nettles.
Dead-nettle is planted equally successfully in spring or fall and preferably in cool and rather shade-covered soil.
As regards maintenance, this plant is very easy to care for and requires virtually no care at all.
Pruning isn’t necessary in the least, although you can still reach for the pruners in spring if the plant grows too large.
Simply curtail its growth by cutting back drastically, the plant will easily recover.
Not every plant called dead-nettle behaves the same way in the garden. These are the three Lamium species mentioned here, and what each one asks of you.
| Species | Where to plant it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Lamium maculatum | Full sun to shade, in cool soil | The ground-cover type: evergreen leaves laced with gray or purple |
| Lamium galeobdelon | Shade only | Same ground-covering habit, but will not take sun |
| Lamium amplexicaule | Not planted on purpose | Treated as a weed rather than an ornamental |
Whichever you grow, allow room: dead-nettle quickly grows large.
This plant also goes by the name red nettle or white nettle, referring to the color of its flowers that can be either white, purple or pink depending on the variety. Some species such as Lamium amplexicaule are even considered weeds.
The foliage, which is evergreen and laced with gray or purple, is certainly what makes dead-nettle stand out from among its peers.
The speed with which it will grow and spread makes it a prime choice if you’re hoping for ground cover for edges, to dress a mound, and even in shaded spots such as under a tree or to mulch a shrub hedge.
Dead-nettles are quite resistant in the face of diseases but may sometimes be visited by aphids, slugs and snails.
If the plant grows too fast and far to your taste, feel free to cut extra stems.
