Golden lace

Golden lace: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright perennial 1–1.2 m high and about 50 cm wide, with thin, tough, branching stems.

Foliage

At the base a rosette of deeply cut, toothed, dark green leaves; the stems carry smaller, divided leaves.

Flower

Numerous tiny yellow florets, a few millimetres across, in loose, flat heads from July to October.

Seed

After flowering the seed heads stay in place and give structure in late autumn.

Scent

In the garden the smell is hardly noticeable, but cut flowers smell rather unpleasant in a vase.

Flowering: July–October · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Flowers late, from July to October, with a cloud of yellow florets when other plants are running out of steam.
• The airy flower heads add a soft, see-through layer to the border without hiding the plants behind.
• Bees and butterflies visit the many small flowers.
• A good cut flower for a wild, loose bunch.
• Fully hardy (down to about −30 °C) and low-maintenance.

Golden lace: where does it grow best?

• Full sun or partial shade; in partial shade it grows taller and flops sooner.
• Normal, free-draining garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to neutral. Rich, damp soil makes it tall and floppy.
• Normally moist; it tolerates short dry spells but flowers best with occasional watering.
• Allow 50 cm between plants; it looks best in groups of three to five.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.2 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Purple moor grass: Airy stems and plumes echo the loose, delicate flowering.
• Miscanthus: A tall ornamental grass that frames the late-summer flowers.
• Michaelmas daisy: Purple and blue autumn flowers beside the gold of the patrinia.
• Coneflower: The same sunny spot, with flowers from summer onwards.
• Verbena bonariensis: Tall, see-through stems with purple flowers weave through the yellow cloud.

Golden lace: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and work some compost into the bottom.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, with the heart of the rosette just above the soil.
4. Keep 50 cm between plants and firm the soil.
5. Water in well at once and keep the soil moist during the first season.
6. Spread a thin layer of compost or bark around the plant, but not against the heart.

Care

Water

In the first year, weekly in dry weather. After that, only in long dry spells.

Feeding

Little: a spadeful of compost in March is enough. Too much feed makes it tall and floppy.

Mulching

A thin layer of compost in spring keeps weeds down and the soil moist.

Support

Usually not needed. If it flops in partial shade or rich soil, support it or cut it back by a third in May.

Seed heads

Leave the seed heads over winter: they give structure and birds find seed on them.

Dividing

Divide an old clump every 4–5 years in spring to keep it fresh.

Tip: Plant it among ornamental grasses and other airy plants: its see-through flowers hide nothing. Put the vase of cut flowers outside rather than in the living room: the smell is not to everyone’s taste.

Golden lace: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new shoots start to grow.

How:

• Cut all dead stems down to 10 cm above the ground.
• Leave the seed heads standing in autumn and winter for winter interest.
• To keep the plant lower, cut the shoots back by a third at the end of May; flowering will be a little later.
• Remove dead leaves from the base of the rosette.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September: lift the clump, divide it with a sharp knife or spade and replant the pieces at once, 50 cm apart.

Seed

Sow outdoors in autumn or in pots in spring: the seed often needs cold to germinate. It also self-seeds.

Golden lace: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy down to about −30 °C: even in hard Belgian winters no protection is needed.
• Leave the dry stems and seed heads until March: they look lovely with frost on them.
• In a pot: choose a large pot with drainage and stand it against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Flopping: In partial shade or rich soil the tall stems bend over. Plant in full sun, feed little or cut back in May.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves at the end of summer, especially in dry weather. Water and cut off affected leaves.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in March–April. Pick them off in the evening.
• Smell in the vase: Cut flowers smell unpleasant. Put them outside or where the smell does not bother you, and change the water.

Through the year

• March: Cut back to 10 cm. Add compost. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant or divide. Watch for slugs.
• May: Plant. Optionally cut shoots back by a third.
• June: Stems grow tall. Support if needed.
• July: Flowering begins. Water in dry weather.
• August: Full flower. Bees and butterflies. Cut for a bouquet.
• September: Flowering. Plant or move.
• October: Last flowers. Plant.
• December: Rest. Leave the seed heads.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The name Patrinia recalls the French naturalist Eugène Patrin, who travelled in Siberia in the 18th century.
• Scabiosifolia means ‘with leaves like a scabious’, after its cut foliage.
• The plant is related to valerian: it used to belong to the valerian family and is now placed in the honeysuckle family.