Lamium consists of about 50 species in the mint family.    Lamium maculatum (deadnettle) are fast-growing, mat-forming evergreen herbaceous perennials.    They are commonly planted to fill in spaces in shaded areas.    The leaves are heart-tear shaped and are often variegated and serrated.    They spread by horizontal runners and may fill in an area over time.

Lamium flowers in spring with purplish-pink flowers.   In summer, seed heads form and the plant may become leggy, requiring some deadheading and/or cutting back.    

We find that if Lamium is left on its own, it can take over an area (as per all mint family plants) so we weed out volunteers or runners that invade neighboring plants’ territories.     Other than that, it is easy to maintain and is a useful plant for some shaded areas.