Lamium 'Purple Dragon'
- In stock, ready for delivery
HEADS UP. THIS ONE SPREADS.
Lamium spreads by creeping stems that root as they go, and it can wander into nearby beds and lawns. Plant it where it has room or can be contained, and keep it out of woodlands, ravines and other natural areas.
Lamium 'Purple Dragon': Loud Purple Flowers in Quiet Shade
Deep magenta flowers in big clusters over velvety silver leaves. 'Purple Dragon' is tiny, low to the ground and fully believes it's GUARDING A PILE OF TREASURE.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon'
- Common Name: Spotted Dead Nettle
- Height: 15â20 cm (6â8 in)
- Spread: 45â60 cm (18â24 in)
- Flowers: Deep magenta-purple, hooded flowers with a white base, in large clusters
- Bloom Time: Late spring to midsummer (May to July), with more flowers on and off afterwards
- Foliage: Small silver leaves with a wide green edge, slightly velvety
- Features: Rabbit resistant
Where to Plant: Use it as a ground cover in shady beds, as edging along a path or patio, or as a trailing spiller in containers and hanging baskets. Its flowers stand out more than most lamiums, so it's a good pick where you want colour as well as foliage.
Companion Plants: Let 'Purple Dragon' carpet a moist, shady bed with rose hellebores, a big hosta and dark bugbane. Helleborus HGCÂź Ice N' RosesÂź Rose opens soft pink flowers at 45 to 60 cm from March to May. Hosta 'Jurassic Park' adds huge blue-green leaves at 75 to 100 cm. Cimicifuga 'Atropurpurea' rises behind at 150 to 180 cm with fragrant white spikes from August to October. Hakonechloa macra fills in at 30 to 45 cm with bright green, cascading blades.
Plant Care: Plant in part sun to full shade in average, well-drained soil. It manages clay or sand, but wet, compacted ground can rot it over winter. Water regularly through the first season. Once settled, it tolerates dry shade. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun, which can scorch the leaves. If it looks tired by midsummer, shear it back to bring on fresh growth and more flowers. Trim or mow it back in early spring. Stems root where they touch the soil, so divide clumps or move rooted pieces in spring or early fall.
History: 'Purple Dragon' began as a branch sport, a natural mutation, of the white-flowered 'White Nancy', found in Michigan by John vanSanden.
Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbit resistant and easy to grow. Plant it in shade and let it breathe fire on the bare patches. NO KNIGHTS REQUIRED.