Kate and Yujing's Plant profile

Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon' Research

Yujing Ma

Fanshawe College

 

Author Note

 

 

This research is related to Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon'.

 

Correspondence concerning this research should be addressed to Yujing Ma, Co-op

 

Horticulture Program, H building, Room 1033, Fanshawe College, 1001 Fanshawe

 

College Blvd, London, ON, Email: y_ma9@fanshaweonline.ca

 

 

 

Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon' (Purple Dragon Creeping Lamium or Purple Dragon Dead Nettle)

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For those people who love the contrasting foliage plants, the 'Purple Dragon' should be in your Top 10 Must-see plant list. Needless to say, the extraordinarily beautiful silvered foliage with lovely green edges is a blessing from heaven. Its deep purple flower clusters continually bloom from the spring to late summer. It is a vigorously fast-growing plant for groundcover, hanging baskets, rock walls, containers and so on. It is a fabulous perennial plant with shade and cold-tolerance characteristics.

 

Botanical Information

Family	Lamiaceae
Genus	Lamium
Species	Maculatum
Cultivar	'Purple Dragon'
Category	Perennials
Type	Herbaceous
References	Phillips, R., & Rix, M. (2002). Perennials: The definitive reference with over 2500 photographs (p. 75). Willowdale, Ontario: Firefly Books; Kellum, J. (2008). Southern shade: A plant selection guide (p. 122). Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi.
Origin	This plant was first discovered by John Vansanden a man from the state of Michigan and introduced in 2005. Patent number: USPP #15890.
Ethnobotanical Uses Disclaimer	‘Purple Dragon’ comes from a branch mutation called Lamium maculatum‘White Nancy’. It reproduced asexually in the general environment. After that, many north American nurseries introduced this plant. New plants are always the sacred cash cow for our industry.

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone	3-9
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone	1a – Requires cool season protection under glass
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness Zone	H3 – H7
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)	-40° - (-1°)
Temperature (°F)	-40° - 30°
Height	15-20 cm
Spread	45-60 cm
Growth	Fast
Flowering Period	April – September

Description and Growing Information

General Description	This robust plant will be very sizeable when it grows and self-propagates. Snapdragon-like purple flowers are showy among the spotted leaves. A natural weed killer and an excellent ground cover are its best uses.
ID Characteristic	Square stem, oval- shaped leaves, distinguishably rich purple flowers.
Shape	It is a prostrate, clumping, dense, spreading understory plant.
Landscape	Ground cover, mass planting, naturalizing, shade, border edging, container planting. This is an ultra-low-maintenance plant, but it has a high value for the basic landscape design.
Propagation	Layering stem tips near the ground: pin a stem, and then wait for rooting. After it is completely rooted, cut it and move it to the container; division in spring or fall; stem cutting: In early summer, find a non-flowering shoot and then put it into the premix media. It is a fast-rooting plant. However, seeding will need at least 2 years to grow up.
Cultivation	It prefers cooler weather in the sun or partial shade. It will survive above zone 9, but the plant will struggle; good for almost all kinds of soil even slightly alkaline soil. This cultivar also prefers well-drained, moist soil, but it is also good when the land is dry. The plant needs to be cut back after flowering for maintaining a compact appearance.
Pests	Slugs and snails. Leaf scorch, root rot.
Notable Specimens	The A.M. Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.
Habitat	Horticultural origin.
Bark Description	Stems are light green in young and grey-purple in adult with branches at their nodes, square in cross-section, 0.5 cm across, sprawl horizontally. Bark- not applicable.
Leaf Description	Leaves silver with rich green edges around, unifoliate opposite, slightly wide obovate to cordate, apparently serrated, 5-6 cm long, 3-4 cm width. The midribs are not prominent.
Flower Description	Verticillasters may produce about 30 bisexual flowers, zygomorphic. Flowers are bilabiate, rich purple, The middle upper lip convex is white, 1–1.5 mm long.
Fruit Description	Grouped in 4, green nutlet, 0.33 cm long, 1.6 cm width, not obvious.
Colour Description	In mild climates, the foliages are always consider as evergreen. The stunning purple flowers adorn among them. Strong colour contrast ignites a light decoration in the shady areas.
Texture Description	It is a fine mounding cover like a soft carpet.