Northwest Blooms · Groundcovers
Lamium maculatum 'Orchid Frost'
Orchid Frost Spotted Deadnettle
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Height
- 6 in to 10 in
- Width
- 18 in to 24 in
- Flower color
- Soft orchid pink flowers with lavender tones and hooded tubular blooms
- Foliage color
- Silver leaves edged in green with softly toothed margins and a trailing habit
- Bloom time
- Mid spring to summer
- Light
- Partial shade to full shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; trim after flowering to refresh growth and control spreading stems
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Wildlife
- Bees, butterflies and pollinators attracted to nectar rich flowers
About this plant
Lamium maculatum 'Orchid Frost' produces hooded orchid-pink flowers in late spring through summer, appearing in small clusters above the foliage and bringing soft color to shaded spaces. Heart-shaped leaves are edged in deep green with broad silvery centers, creating a luminous, finely textured carpet as the stems spread and root along the ground. The foliage remains dense through the growing season, while the flowers rise just above the leaves and attract bees and other pollinators.
Originating from a species native to Europe and western Asia, this cultivar reflects garden selection focused on ornamental foliage and extended bloom. It is well suited to woodland gardens, borders, containers, and beneath shrubs, where its spreading habit and colorful foliage provide lasting seasonal interest.
Works well in
Woodland Gardens · Under Trees · Slopes & Banks · Borders
Companion plants
Omphalodes · Japanese pieris · Acorus · Fuchsias · Hellebores · Blechnums
Design tip
Use broad drifts of this silvery foliage to brighten shaded pathways and soften the spaces beneath trees and shrubs. Layer it with evergreen structure, contrasting leaf shapes, and graceful woodland companions to create inviting garden rooms with rhythm and visual depth.
