General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers evenly moist, acidic loams with good drainage. Dislikes wet soils, particularly in winter. Dislikes high heat and humidity and seems to do best when soils are cool. Unsightly bare patches (often called melting out) may appear in the heat of the summer in hot and humid climates. If mid-summer foliage decline occurs, plants may be cut back or sheared to stimulate new foliage growth. Leaf scorch may also occur, particularly if soils are allowed to dry out or if plants are grown in too much sun. When grown as a ground cover, starter plants may be spaced 6-10” apart for coverage. Evergreen in mild winter climates, but not in the St. Louis area.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY is a spotted deadnettle cultivar that is perhaps best noted for its variegated tricolor foliage. This is a mat-forming perennial ground cover that typically grows 5-8” tall but spreads indefinitely over time by sprawling stems which root in the ground as they go. Each variegated leaf has a chartreuse yellow margin, dull green interior and whitish-silver center. Clusters of tiny, somewhat inconspicuous, two-lipped, pink-lavender flowers (typical mint family) appear at the stem ends in late spring to early summer. Plants grow vigorously in optimum growing conditions, but are easy to control and are not considered to be too aggressive. This cultivar was discovered as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Lamium maculatum ‘Gold Nuggets’. U. S. Plant Patent PP11,783 issued February 20, 2001.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems. Aphids and slugs are occasional visitors. Crown rot may occur in poorly-drained soils. Foliage may decline in hot and humid summer conditions. This cultivar is reportedly resistant to scorch.
Uses:
Small scale ground cover for shady areas. Intolerant of foot traffic, however. Also effective as an edger, but spread must be controlled. Hanging baskets or containers.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2010
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