LADY'S MANTLE

Lady’s mantle is a perennial herb with fan-shaped leaves that like to grow in meadows, roadsides and shorelines, preferring a location with sun or partial shade and fairly dry, sandy soil. Medieval alchemists collected the drops of rain or dew in the leaf center for its purported magical and medicinal powers, resulting in the latin name of the plant, alchemilla, from Arabic, “alkimiya”, universal cure for disease.

Alchemilla leaves have a mildly pungent but a very pleasant flavor suitable for herbal beverages, soups, and baking. They also taste great on salads or sandwiches. The flowers and seeds can be used as seasoning. Found in the wild, lady’s mantle is also suitable for garden cultivation for both ornamental and culinary use.