Deadnettle
Garden Plans For Deadnettle
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Illustration by Gill Tomblin
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Janet Loughrey
Illustration by Tom Rosborough
Illustration by Gary Palmer
Color Combinations
The most basic varieties of deadnettles offer a dull grey-green foliage, but also have silver leaves or silver markings. There are a few varieties with golden foliage. Like many plants in the mint family, the small tubular blooms end in two lower lips and a large hooded top in shades of pink, purple and white. While their peak bloom is often in late spring to early summer, many varieties continue to put on blossoms throughout the growing season, only stopping when the first frost occurs.
See our favorite easy groundcovers.
Deadnettle Care Must-Knows
These easy-to-grow plants require very little care once established and create stunning mats of color in a shade garden. Deadnettles are most at home in well-drained soil with even moisture. Once established, they are quite tolerant of dry soil; they may just be a bit less vigorous. The biggest concern is overly moist soil. Most species and varieties will not tolerate too much moisture, so be sure to avoid soggy soil, especially standing water.
What is well drained soil? Find out here.
Deadnettles prefer shade where they take on a green hue and their attractive variegations fade a bit over time. Since deadnettles are fairly vigorous growers, be sure to weed out any seedlings that develop. Shear the plants back after blossoming in their peak season to encourage well-branched plants and a hearty second bloom.
Here are tough perennials that grow in dry shade.