Lamium is an excellent ground
cover for shade. The common name is often given as “spotted dead nettle” far
too unattractive a little for this low growing carpet of leaves with a stripe
down the middle that can be white, yellow, red or silver. Lamium is evergreen
from Zone 6 south. Even in Zone 5, where I one live, they persist well into the
winter. The erect flower clusters are long blooming, lasting from late spring
to midsummer, and can be reddish purple, pink, or whit depending on variety.
“Album” has white flowers and white
marked leaves; “Beacon Silver” has pink flowers and silvery leaves. If you set
out a little nursery grown pot of lamium in spring, you will have a lamium
carpet by fall, and the following year you will perhaps be able to pen your own
lamium nursery with which to supply all your friends. It spreads rapidly by
above ground runners and is hardy to Zone 4. How to Grow Lamium
Here if you want to grow lamium
in part or full shade if possible but if the site is very sunny make sure the
soil has plenty of moisture. Other than that lamium seems to have no special
requirements and is easily propagated by division, cuttings or seed. If you do
not want to open a lamium nursery, and it is crowding other plants, shear in
midsummer to promote more compact growth.
