In the Bible, mantles symbolize authority, responsibility, and the transfer of spiritual power as illustrated in the story of Elijah and Elisha. During the Middle Ages people, especially the monks who often cultivated monastic gardens, named plants to connect them to the attributes of the Virgin Mary and to the life of Christ. The soft leaves of Alchemilla mollis with their scalloped-edges were thought to resemble Mary’s mantle and this led to linking the plant to womanhood, purity and the divine. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Lady’s mantel is an herbaceous clump-forming perennial native to mountainous area of the Carpathians, Caucausus, and Turkey. It is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes apples, almonds, meadowsweet, and pyracantha. Plants grow up to 18″ tall and have light green leaves that are fan shaped, up to 6″ across, and have lobed edges. Each leaf is covered with soft hairs that catch and hold water drops in a way that attracts the eye and creates a beautiful sight. From late spring to early summer large trusses of small chartreuse flowers appear that are beautiful in both fresh and dried arrangements.
Lady’s Mantle likes sun to part shade and average, moderately moist, well-drained soil in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-7. Ample moisture is essential to good growth but rot may develop in hot humid conditions. Propagation is by division in early spring, and plants reseed.
The genus name, Alchemilla, is derived from the Arabic word for alchemy in the belief that the beads of water that collect on the leaves could be used to change base metal into gold. The specific epithet, mollis, is the Latin word meaning soft and refers to the texture of the leaves.