# Lady's-mantles (*Alchemilla*)

Lady's-mantles are lovely green plants with soft, rounded leaves. They often grow in gardens and meadows and can catch raindrops like little jewels!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Gardens and meadows

![Lady's-mantles](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lady's_Mantle_Alchemilla_vulgaris_2816px.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Photo by and (c)2007 Jina Lee, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lady's_Mantle_Alchemilla_vulgaris_2816px.jpg)

## Appearance

The Lady's-mantles has unique, fan-shaped leaves with crimped, pleated edges that collect dewdrops like tiny jewels. Its delicate, star-like flowers are a soft yellowish-green, appearing in airy clusters. This plant's vibrant green foliage forms low mounds, adding a refreshing texture.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Rosales
- **Family:** Rosaceae
- **Genus:** Alchemilla

## Interesting facts

- Ancient alchemists once collected its dewdrops, hoping to use them to make gold!
- Its scientific name, \*Alchemilla\*, means "little alchemist," linked to its magical water.
- Some people believed its morning dewdrops had special powers to keep skin youthful!
- The pleated leaves inspired its name because they look like a lady's ruffled cloak.

## Special abilities

- **Dewdrop Collector:** Lady's-mantles leaves can gather water droplets on their surface, making them look like sparkling jewels and helping the plant absorb moisture.
- **Self-Sower Power:** Lady's-mantles can produce seeds without needing pollination, making it super efficient at spreading and growing new plants!
- **Tough Texture:** Lady's-mantles has slightly hairy leaves that help it resist some pests and diseases, keeping it healthy.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 30-75 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit its small flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Bumblebees are important visitors, aiding in pollination.
- **Eaten by:** Grove Snail (*Cepaea nemoralis*) — Snails sometimes munch on its tender leaves.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking plants, just to be safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Lady's-mantles?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Lady's-mantles?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Lady's-mantles spread?

30-75 cm

### How big are the flowers on Lady's-mantles?

0.2-0.4 cm

### When does Lady's-mantles bloom?

Summer

### Is Lady's-mantles edible?

Yes

### Is Lady's-mantles toxic?

None

### What is Lady's-mantles's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Wildpark Bruderhaus](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wildpark-bruderhaus) — Zurich, CH · Zoo
- [Volkspark Potsdam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/volkspark-potsdam) — Brandenburg, DE · Park
- [Picos de Europa National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/picos-de-europa-national-park) — Spain, ES · National Park

[View all places to see Lady's-mantles](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ladys-mantles)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Lady's-mantles: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ladys-mantles)