Lamium album - White Dead Nettle

Family:	Labiatae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, the Himalayas and Japan.

Lamium album (White Dead Nettle) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 4and is vunerable to frost.
White Dead Nettle will flower in November to June. the seeds ripen from January to June
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees

Soil Information

White Dead Nettle will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
White Dead Nettle prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

White Dead Nettle can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Fields, hedgerows, woodland edges and clearings and moist waste ground[7, 9, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Can spread to cover ground and will out compete weeds
• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

A very easily grown plant, it tolerates most soils and conditions[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a sunny position, though it also does well in partial shade[238]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c[187]. The white dead nettle is too weedy to be grown in the flower garden, but it does well in the wild garden and self-sows when well sited[200]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]. A good bee plant[4, 24] and a good companion plant, helping any vegetables growing nearby[14, 18].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young leaves - raw or cooked[2, 5, 7, 13, 54]. They can be added to salads or mixed with other leaves and cooked as a potherb[183]. They can also be dried for later use[12]. The leaves are a good source of vitamin A[240]. A pleasant herb tea is made from the flowers[238].

• Leaves -
• Tea - the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
White dead nettle is an astringent and demulcent herb that is chiefly used as a uterine tonic, to arrest inter-menstrual bleeding and to reduce excessive menstrual flow. It is a traditional treatment for abnormal vaginal discharge and is sometimes taken to relieve painful periods[254]. The flowering tops are antispasmodic, astringent, cholagogue, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic, hypnotic, pectoral, resolvent, sedative, styptic, tonic, vasoconstrictor and vulnerary[4, 7, 9, 13, 21, 46, 61, 165, 238, 240]. An infusion is used in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints[9], diarrhoea, menstrual problems, bleeding after childbirth, vaginal discharges and prostatitis[238, 254]. Externally, the plant is made into compresses and applied to piles, varicose veins and vaginal discharges[7, 238, 254]. A distilled water from the flowers and leaves makes an excellent and effective eye lotion to relieve ophthalmic conditions[7]. The plant is harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use[9]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of bladder and kidney disorders and amenorrhoea[9].

• Antispasmodic - Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Cancer - Used in the treatment of cancer.
• Cholagogue - Increases the flow of bile and its discharge from the body.
• Depurative - Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Expectorant - Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
• Homeopathy - A plant used in homeopathic treatments.
• Hypnotic - Induces sleep.
• Ophthalmic - Treats eye complaints.
• Pectoral - Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
• Resolvent - Breaks down tumors. This might be placed under antitumor.
• Sedative - Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
• Styptic - An astringent that stops bleeding by contracting the blood vessels.
• Tonic - Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
• Vasoconstrictor - Narrows the blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure.
• Vulnerary - Promotes the healing of wounds.

Propagation

Seed - this species usually self sows freely and should not require human intervention. When required it can be sown in situ as soon as it is ripe. Division in spring. Division succeeds at almost any time in the growing season[K]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

The plant has a creeping rootstock and makes a good groundcover plant for woodland edges[24].

• Ground cover - Usually low growing plants that can be grown with other plants, especially shrubs and trees, to prevent the growth of weeds.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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