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RE: Favourite Thug for a Med. Garden

Susan George wrote:

>However, my vote for 'Best Thug' would have to go to a large yellow
>flowering form of Lamium (variegated leaves) which I grow (I am not sure
>which species it is)  - while very useful underneath well established 
trees
>and shrubs in wilder parts of the garden (it will take almost any abuse) -
>it has found its way into my perennial  and alpine border and just swamped
>everything. About two months ago I painstakingly removing every piece that
>I could find ( it roots at every node that touches the soil) - but I have
>noticed in the last two weeks that it is reshooting from a few underground
>roots that I apparently didn't find. I am surprised at the vigour with
>which it is coming back, particularly  given that it is now winter in
>Melbourne. This plant is much more vigorous than  L. maculatum 'White
>Nancy' which I also grow  - 'White Nancy' is positively tame in 
comparison.

Sounds from the description very much like Lamium galeobdolon 'Variegatum', 
which grows impressively (read 'rampantly') in my garden as well. So much 
so that my wife has painstakingly weeded it all out from one area where it 
was taking over too much of a shady bank next to the driveway. I have 
instead transplanted a lot of small pieces onto an almost vertical clay 
bank that is unsuitable for growing just about anything. With a bit of 
luck, the Lamium will cover the bank within the next couple of years. Some 
spots just need thugs!

For anyone with less difficult spots, I would advise them NOT to include 
this particular Lamium on their list of plants. Go for its refined 
relative, L. galeobdolon 'Herman's Pride', which does not have the invasive 
growth habit and also has MUCH nicer leaves, being silver with dark green 
veins. It, too, has the yellow flowers.

L. galeobdolon comes from a large part of Europe. Phillips and Rix say it 
grows from Ireland eastwards to European Russia and south to Spain, 
Northern Turkey and the Caucasus. There are several subspecies and several 
named varieties of the variegated forms.

Tim Dutton
"Raindrops", Main Road North, Kaitoke, Upper Hutt, New Zealand
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