Re: Lamium (variety descriptions)

Paul Henjum asked for descriptions of four lamiums.

Over the last couple of years the Royal Horticultural Society has been holding a trial of Lamium maculatum cultivars. A total of 41 different entries were submitted by nurseries, public gardens and private gardeners; some were duplicates, and there was confusion about some of the names. Three plants of each entry were grown, all together on the same plot, and they were assessed regularly for both foliage and flowering effect. I was one of the judges.

It's interestng to note that on this occasion not one of the entries was thought worthy of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

A full descriptive list and a key to the cultivars in the trial is, at my instigation, to be posted on the RHS website http://www.rhs.org.uk/ - but I gather this will not be possible before December. As soon as it's up I'll let everyone know.

In the meantime Paul Henjum asked about these four particular cultivars.

'Beedhams White' In the trial, this died! But it's basically the same as 'Aureum' (yellow leaves with faint white central stripe) but with white flowers rather than the reddish-purple flowers of 'Aureum'. Like 'Aureum', it's liable to scorch in full sun.

'Checkers' The correct spelling is 'Chequers', this is said to have been named by Alan Bloom after a pub of that name near where it was found. This has the darkest reddish-purple flowers of all, with purple-red bracts. It's vigorous and relatively upright in habit with unusually green broad leaves, each with a narrow white central stripe.

'Red Nancy' This has the reddest flowers of all, the leaves are white with a (usually dark) green margin. In habit it's clow but rather sprawling. I find it suffers from leaf spot disease.

'Brocade' I don't know this. It was not in the trial and as far as I know is not in cultivation in the UK.

My choice, for what's worth, would be:

'Golden Anniversary' - spectacular leaves, green with a white ecbtral stripe and a jagged yellow margin.

'Peck's Pink' - green-rimmed silver leaves and the palest pink flowers.

'Pink Pewter' - green-rimmed silver leves, salmon pink flowers.

'White Nancy' - green-rimmed silver leaves and white flowers.

plus 'Red Nancy'


Graham Rice
Northamptonshire, UK
Zone 8
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