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Golden Dead Nettle

Lamium maculatum (LAY-mee-um mak-yoo-LAY-tum)

Family: Lamiaceae Unknown Groundcover (<1 ft)

'Aureum' is a cultivar of the Spotted dead nettle, a fast growing, flowering, herbaceous perennial in the mint family. 'Aureum' is distinguished by its gold to chartreuse foliage with a white center and spikes of pink flowers. It will root in the ground wherever stems touch and it is easily divided and transplanted. It will spread to form a mat and, at 8 inches high and 2 feet wide when mature, it makes a great ground cover. "Aureum', like its parent plant, does best in partial or heavy shade, average soil, and evenly moist, but well drained, sites. It will tolerate dry soil. However, it will not do well in compacted or wet soils or in high heat and humidity. Plants will burn in the full sun. Prune it back in the late winter to maintain shape. 'Aureum' is deer and rabbit resistant and makes an excellent addition to a woodland garden especially when allowed to cascade over a rock wall. The bright yellow leaves provide an accent and brighten up shaded areas in the landscape. Use in a border, to edge a pathway, or even grow it in a container. When grown as a ground cover, start plants 6 to 10 inches apart. From there, the plant will spread indefinitely; however, it is easy to control and not considered aggressive. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Generally disease and insect free. Leaf scorch can occur if soils are allowed to dry out or if grown in too much sun. Aphids and slugs are occasional problems. More information on Lamium maculatum .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 55 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover (<1 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 8 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Creeping; Dense; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Variegated
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Cordate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Heart-shaped yellow leaves provide year-round interest.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Cup; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small rose-purple flowers appear in spring and bloom through the fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Fruit detail
Triangular fruit.
Stem detail
Erect, hollow and pubescent stems, branched at the base.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Flowers attract bees.
Attracts
Bees
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Schizocarp

Uses (ethnobotany)

ground cover

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Rock Wall; Woodland
Landscape theme
Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border
Garden tags
#rabbit resistant #shade garden #pollinator plant #border planting #nectar plant #low maintenance #slow growing #deer resistant #cascading #edging #evergreen #year-round interest #semi-evergreen #bee friendly #container plant #garden walls #wildlife friendly #woodland #accent #groundcover #walkway
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer; Heavy Shade; Rabbits

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.