Lamium maculatum Album - Spotted Deadnettle

Lamium maculatum 'Album' is a variety of spotted deadnettle. It is elegant and bright with foliage adorned with silver in the centre of each leaf, topped with a long flowering of pure white spikes. It quickly spreads as a compact and dense carpet, in the shade. It is evergreen depending on the severity of the winter. Its spring flowers further brighten up the dark areas of the garden. This creeping perennial is easily cultivated in moist soil. Ideal for perennial borders, rockeries, and shaded edges. It also grows very well in pots.

"Maculatum" means "spot" in Latin. Lamium maculatum are therefore also called spotted or variegated deadnettle. Indeed, they all bear bi-coloured foliage. This foliage is made up of many small leaves, which are semi-evergreen under certain climates. They measure 2 to 3cm (1in) long. They are more or less triangular, hairy, toothed, corrugated, and form a complete carpet, covering the stems that carry them. These stems are long, creeping, but slightly raised at their ends and spread in all directions. They bear small flowers (2cm (1in)) with a hairy calyx that surrounds the corolla tube. The corolla extends into two lips (one finely hairy upper lip and another lower lip), highlighting the plant's affiliation with the large Lamiaceae family. Their silhouette is reminiscent of nettle flowers. The name "Lamium" actually comes from Greek and means a throat or a gaping mouth.

Deadnettles always make delightful ground covers. They require no maintenance (unless the foliage has dried up) and are perfect at the base of a bush. However, the variety of colours, their reasonable and manageable growth (20cm (8in) tall and a maximum spread of 100cm (39in)) means they can be integrated at the front of flower beds, in ribbons or with small touches, thus varying the foliage. They can easily be placed in front of heucheras or perennial geraniums, for example. Lamium maculatum 'Album' also pairs well with other shade companions such as liverworts or hostas. The mixture of textures creates a harmonious border. In rockeries, partial shade, or at the base of a wall, it also fits in among creeping perennials like Ajuga reptans and adds brightness to neglected corners.