Vrouwenmantel

Alchemilla mollis

Engels: Lady's Mantle

perennialRosaceae

Vrouwenmantel (Alchemilla mollis) is a perennial from the Rosaceae family that grows up to 50cm tall. This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and requires low maintenance. Blooms in summer with yellow flowers and attracts bees.

Hoogte

30–50 cm

Breedte

40–60 cm

Zonligging

full sun, partial shade

Waterbehoefte

moderate

Grondsoort

loam, clay soil, chalky soil

Onderhoud

low maintenance

Bloeitijd

summer

Bloemkleuren

yellow

Ecologische waarde

Trekt bijen aan

Verzorgingskalender

Taak	Jan	Feb	Mrt	Apr	Mei	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Okt	Nov	Dec
🌱Planten
✂️Snoeien
💧Bemesten

Care tips

Planting

Lady's mantle is a reliable, unfussy perennial that thrives in a wide range of conditions. Plant it in March, April, September, or October when the soil is workable and temperatures are mild. It performs equally well in full sun or partial shade, though in hotter, drier gardens a spot with afternoon shade will help prevent the foliage scorching in midsummer. This plant tolerates most soil types—loam, clay, and chalky soils are all suitable—as long as drainage is reasonable. Heavy clay is fine; lady's mantle actually copes better with moisture-retentive soil than many perennials. Before planting, dig over the area and work in a spadeful of garden compost or well-rotted manure to improve structure and fertility, especially if your soil is poor or very free-draining. Plant so the crown sits at soil level, not buried. Space plants 45 cm apart; they will knit together into a weed-suppressing clump within a couple of seasons. If you're planting pot-grown specimens, water them thoroughly in their pots an hour beforehand. Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball, settle the plant in, backfill with soil, and firm gently with your hands. Water in well after planting, even if the soil feels damp, to settle roots and eliminate air pockets. In spring plantings, keep the soil moist for the first few weeks as growth gets underway. Autumn-planted lady's mantle establishes roots over winter and will need little attention until spring. A 5 cm layer of garden compost or leaf mould around (but not touching) the crown helps retain moisture and suppresses weeds while the plant fills out.

Pruning

Lady's mantle doesn't require pruning in the traditional sense, but it does benefit from a tidy-up in July after the main flush of flowers has faded. The frothy lime-yellow blooms are charming in early summer, but once they turn brown they look tatty and, more importantly, the plant self-seeds with enthusiasm. If you don't want seedlings popping up everywhere, cut back the whole plant before the seed heads ripen and scatter. Use a pair of sharp garden shears or secateurs and shear the entire clump down to about 10 cm above ground level, removing all the spent flower stems and the older, tired foliage in one go. This might seem drastic, but lady's mantle responds quickly with a fresh mound of soft, pleated leaves that will look good for the rest of the season. If you value the flowers for cutting or enjoy their appearance in the border, you can delay this cut-back by a week or two, but don't leave it much later than mid-July or you'll miss the window for regrowth. If you do want seedlings—perhaps to fill gaps or pot on for friends—let a few flower stems set seed before cutting back the rest. Lady's mantle self-sows reliably but not aggressively, and unwanted seedlings pull out easily when small. In late autumn or early spring, remove any remaining dead or damaged foliage to tidy the crown, but the main "prune" is that July shearing. This single cut keeps the plant compact, healthy, and looking its best without any complicated technique or timing.

Maintenance

Lady's mantle is genuinely low-maintenance once established. Its water needs are moderate; in most temperate gardens, rainfall will suffice except during prolonged dry spells in summer. If the leaves start to wilt or look dull, water deeply at the base rather than sprinkling lightly. Plants in full sun or free-draining soil may need watering every week or so in hot, dry weather, while those in partial shade or heavier clay will manage with much less. Feed once a year in March with a general-purpose granular fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone or Growmore, scattered around the base of the clump and lightly worked into the soil surface. A handful per plant is plenty. Alternatively, a 3–5 cm mulch of garden compost in early spring feeds the soil and helps retain moisture through summer. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which promote soft, lush growth at the expense of flowers. Lady's mantle is fully hardy to zone 3a, so overwintering in temperate Europe is never a problem. The foliage may remain semi-evergreen in mild winters, but it often dies back partially or looks shabby by late winter. Simply tidy away any browned leaves in early spring before new growth emerges. Pests and diseases rarely trouble this plant. Occasionally aphids cluster on young flower stems in May, but they seldom cause lasting harm; a strong jet of water usually shifts them. In very wet seasons or poorly drained spots, slugs may nibble emerging leaves in spring, though the hairy, slightly bitter foliage isn't their favourite. Otherwise, lady's mantle is remarkably trouble-free and will thrive for years with minimal intervention.