Lamium maculatum Cannons Gold - Spotted Deadnettle

Lamium maculatum 'Cannon's Gold' is one of the ultimate ground cover plants in woodland areas. Its bright foliage and long flowering period will brighten up the shadiest parts of your garden. You can also plant it at the edge of a shaded flower bed.

Lamium maculatum is native to Europe and Asia Minor, where it is considered an adventive species. Its cultivar 'Cannon's Gold' is a perennial ground cover with rhizomatous roots, reaching a height of 15cm (6in) and spreading up to 100cm (39in). Its semi-evergreen leaves are bright green with brown spots. They have a heart shape with toothed margins. Its long 5-month flowering period lasts from May to September, punctuating and colouring its foliage. The flowers are arranged in leafy spikes and are pale-pink. They have an upward-curved upper lip forming a dome, and a trailing or 'u'-shaped lower lip.

With its bright colour and easy cultivation, Lamium maculatum 'Cannon's Gold' thrives in light, moist to wet soils. It has a rapid growth rate and prefers full shade to partial shade for optimal development.

It is perfect for adding colour to your woodland areas at the base of trees such as elm or oak, but it can also be combined with heucheras, daylilies, or hostas in a flower bed.