alpine lady's mantle

Alchemilla alpina L.

Alpine lady's mantle is especially distinctive when its leaves turn enough to reveal their undersides. Each leaf is divided like an open hand into five to seven narrow leaflets. Their upper surfaces are glossy and green, while silky hairs cover the undersides. Teeth gather near the leaflet tips, adding a fine edge to the plant's low, spreading pattern. Flora of North America: Alchemilla alpina

Botanical name

Alchemilla alpina L is accepted in the cited taxonomic treatment. The supplied database name identifies the same species. Kew Plants of the World Online: Alchemilla alpina

Recognizing the plant

The plant forms low carpets, commonly five to twenty centimetres tall. Its individual leaflets remain distinct nearly to the base, rather than making one broad, shallowly lobed blade. Small flower clusters stand above the foliage. Silky hairs on the lower leaflet surfaces can also make the edges look silver when seen from above, while the upper surfaces remain greener and comparatively glossy. Flora of North America: Alchemilla alpina Royal Horticultural Society: Alchemilla alpina

Bloom window

North Atlantic portion of Flora of North America

In the North Atlantic region covered by Flora of North America, flowering is recorded from mid-June to mid-September. Flora of North America: Alchemilla alpina

Native range

Its cool-country native geography includes Greenland and subarctic or subalpine Europe. Kew also includes northeastern Canada, whereas Flora of North America considers some occurrences outside Greenland possibly introduced. The flora describes meadows, herb-covered slopes and moist rock ledges, so the plant is associated with several open habitats rather than one rock type. Flora of North America: Alchemilla alpina Kew Plants of the World Online: Alchemilla alpina

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.