Alchemilla mollis

Description

Alchemilla mollis, better known as lady’s mantle, is a quietly hardworking perennial with a softness that belies its strength. Forming a generous, rounded clump, Alchemilla mollis produces velvety, light green leaves with scalloped, gently toothed edges, each leaf catching raindrops like scattered pearls. In early summer, clouds of tiny, bright yellow flowers rise just above the foliage, creating a luminous haze that weaves effortlessly through borders. There is an ease to Alchemilla mollis that makes it invaluable, softening hard edges, linking neighbouring plants and bringing cohesion to mixed planting schemes. Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit, lady’s mantle has long been valued for its reliability and garden-worthiness, as well as its ability to look beautiful without demanding attention.

Exceptionally versatile, Alchemilla mollis thrives in sun or partial shade and copes well with a wide range of soils, provided drainage is reasonable. It works beautifully at the front of borders, along paths or as a gentle underplanting for roses and shrubs, where its fresh colouring lifts richer tones. The flowers of Alchemilla mollis are excellent for cutting and drying, while the foliage remains attractive for much of the season, especially if trimmed back after flowering. Robust, long-lived and quietly elegant, Alchemilla mollis is a perennial that earns its place many times over, offering structure, softness and a reassuring sense of abundance year after year.