Spotted Deadnettle

(Lamiaceae [also known as Labiatae] - Mint Family)

Form

• medium-sized, semi-evergreen, herbaceous perennial groundcover
• maturing at about 10" tall by 1.5' wide
• procumbent mat growth habit, forming a dense mound
• medium growth rate, in terms of its perimeter spread

Culture

• partial shade to full shade
• needs an evenly moist, well-drained, moderately rich soil in partial shade for optimum performance; not at all urban tolerant, including a disdain for poor soils, poorly drained soils, compacted soils, heat, prolonged drought, or sunny spots
• propagated by crown division, lifting of rooted stem segments, or rooted stem cuttings
• Mint Family, with no disease problems, but slug and snail pest problems may cosmetically affect the foliage on occasion, and exposure to excessive sun and drought will scorch the foliage and lead to dieback
• commonly available in containers or flats
• often melts out in the heat of Summer (that is, the Spring foliage and stems die back to the original crown or new peripherally-rooted crowns), but may rejuvenate in the coolness of Autumn

Foliage

• medium green for the species form (cultivars are always silver-variegated, but shoots may occasionally develop that revert to the vigorous, solid-green form, and need to be rogued out)
• leaves are opposite, ovate, and crenate
• entire plant slowly dies back to the crown during late Autumn and early Winter (evergreen in Southern climates), unless it never re-emerged from Summer dormancy

Flowers

• shell pink, pink, dark lavender, or white, depending upon cultivar
• flowering heavily in May and June and sporadically thereafter, sometimes with a minor flush in early Autumn
• numerous clusters of small flowers occur at each node and the stem terminals
• prominent "hooded" upper petals and "lipped" lower petals are characteristic of the Mint family

Fruits

• brown and ornamentally inconspicuous

Twigs

• stems are square and green, procumbent and trailing, occasionally rooting at the nodes, resulting in the slow spread of this perennial groundcover

Trunk

• not applicable

ID Summary

• groundcover with ovate, silver-variegated opposite leaves, originating from a central crown with the trailing stems rooting at the nodes, with Spring flowers being dark lavendar, shell pink, or white
• often melts out in the heat of Summer, or when placed in too sunny or dry of a location

USAGE

Function

• edging or groundcover, used effectively in moist, shaded areas

Texture

• medium texture
• thick density

Assets

• mounding and spreading groundcover with a solid mat of silver-green variegated foliage
• pink, lavender, or white Spring flowering, with possible rebloom in early Autumn

Liabilities

• often melts out during the heat and drought of Summer, even in shady sites
• subject to crown or stem rot in moisture-retentive situations (frequent irrigation, poorly drained locations, or heavy rain periods), and mass groundcover plantings often develop "holes" as individual plants die
• often retains leaf litter in late Autumn and Winter
• occasional green-foliaged sports need to be immediately removed so that they will not take over the planting

Habitat

• zones 3 to 8
• native to Europe and North America

SELECTIONS

Alternates

• other groundcovers or low perennials for semi-shady situations noted for their variegated foliage or flowering effects (Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegatum', Galium odoratum, Hosta cultivars, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Liriope muscari, Pachysandra terminalis 'Variegata', Pulmonaria saccharata, etc.)

Variants

• Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver' - silver leaves with very narrow green margins, having dark lavender flowers
• Lamium maculatum 'Cannon's Gold' - golden chartreuse leaves with pink flowers, rarely available now but will become a standard in the years ahead
• Lamium maculatum 'Chequers' - green leaves with a prominent silver stripe down the midrib, with dark pink flowers, very vigorous
• Lamium maculatum 'Pink Pewter' - silver leaves with very narrow green margins, having shell-pink flowers
• Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy' - silver leaves with very narrow green margins, having white flowers

NOTES

Translation

• Lamium is the Latin name for this genus.
• maculatum translates as "spotted", referring to the commonly variegated foliage.

Purpose

• Spotted Deadnettle is a silver-variegated, flowering perennial groundcover ideally suited for moist (but well-drained) and shady sites.

Summary

• Lamium maculatum is known for its dense silver-green mounding and trailing foliage, pink, lavender, or white Spring flowers, and groundcover usage for shady situations.