Deadnettle

Deadnettle Lamium maculatum
Janet Loughrey.

Deadnettle Overview

Description Shade gardens can offer some tricky planting situations that just a few plants adapt to well. Deadnettle is one of the plants that does well in shade and a wide variety of other growing conditions. The plant is easy to grow and brings lots of color to a shady corner with colorful foliage and long-blooming flowers.
Genus Name Lamium
Common Name Deadnettle
Plant Type Perennial
Light Part Sun, Shade
Height 6 to 12 inches
Width 1 to 5 feet
Flower Color Pink, Purple, White
Foliage Color Blue/Green, Chartreuse/Gold, Gray/Silver
Season Features Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom
Special Features Attracts Birds, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Propagation Division, Seed, Stem Cuttings
Problem Solvers Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Groundcover, Slope/Erosion Control

Garden Plans For Deadnettle

Shared Property Line
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Foolproof Foundation Garden Plan illustration
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Low-Water Garden
Janet Loughrey
tropical look garden plan with canna illustration
Illustration by Tom Rosborough
no-fuss shade garden plan illustration
Illustration by Gary Palmer

Color Combinations

The most basic varieties of deadnettles offer a dull grey-green foliage, but also have silver leaves or silver markings. There are a few varieties with golden foliage. Like many plants in the mint family, the small tubular blooms end in two lower lips and a large hooded top in shades of pink, purple and white. While their peak bloom is often in late spring to early summer, many varieties continue to put on blossoms throughout the growing season, only stopping when the first frost occurs.

Deadnettle Care Must-Knows

These easy-to-grow plants require very little care once established and create stunning mats of color in a shade garden. Deadnettles are most at home in well-drained soil with even moisture. Once established, they are quite tolerant of dry soil; they may just be a bit less vigorous. The biggest concern is overly moist soil. Most species and varieties will not tolerate too much moisture, so be sure to avoid soggy soil, especially standing water.

Deadnettles prefer shade where they take on a green hue and their attractive variegations fade a bit over time. Since deadnettles are fairly vigorous growers, be sure to weed out any seedlings that develop. Shear the plants back after blossoming in their peak season to encourage well-branched plants and a hearty second bloom.

More Varieties of Deadnettle

Plant Deadnettle With:

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