What Is the Lady's Mantle Eaten By?

Varieties of Lady's Mantle

• A member of the rose Rosaceaea family, lady's mantle comes in 200 to 300 varieties. A Chicago Botanic Garden plant evaluator noted that, in observations of 18 taxa of alchemilla, similarities far outweighed differences. Most common were the distinctive chartreuse flowers for which lady's mantle is particularly well known. The only main difference among varieties was leaf shape. Alchemilla alpinis and two others had leaves composed of several completely separated lobes, while all others manifested some version of the typical heavily ruffled leaves. Even this strong visual distinction did not affect plant behavior in any noticeable way.

Lady's Mantle in the Garden

• Preferring slightly acid soil rich in humus and organic materials, lady's mantle will also adapt to less-nourishing growing conditions. A partial-shade plant by nature, it can be susceptible to leaf-burn. Doing well in moist soil, it is subject to stem and leaf rot in consistently wet soil. Either leaf-burn or the beginnings of leaf-rot might lead an inexperienced gardener to wonder what is chewing on the plant. Alchemilla grows well in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8, which stretch from Minnesota to Texas and Florida.

Pests

• An informal survey of numerous regions in which lady's mantle might grow divulges no consistent or severe pest problem of any kind. Chewing and sucking insects tend to avoid the plant, perhaps because of its astringent qualities and high tannin content. Deer appear to be repelled by its strong taste and the hairy leaves and stems typical of its many varieties. It is one member of Gardeners' World Magazine's "20 Slug-Beaters." Gardeners might find lady's mantle enchanting, but pests of all kinds avoid it, for reasons of taste or texture.

Using Lady's Mantle

• Because it is so seldom sucked, sniffed or chewed on by pests, lady's mantle makes an excellent edging plant for a perennial bed or companion planting for annuals. Rose-growers use this rose relative to surround more showy members of the family. The plant's mound-like shape and moderate height of 15 to 18 inches make it adaptable to many planting situations where it functions as a protective barrier for plants that might tempt predators, whether insect or animal.