Auslese lady's mantle, Alchemilla mollis 'Auslese', produces masses of tiny lime-green flowers above the elegant, gray-green, scalloped leaves. Dew or rain droplets glitter in the sunlight as they roll around within the tooth-edged leaves. The plant matures at 12 inches in height and 18 inches in width and can be grown in full sun or partial shade. It needs to be watered the first two years after planting to develop an extensive root system that can survive thereafter on its own. This seed-strain selection is more uniform in size and habit than the straight species.

The genus Alchemilla is known for having a number of species that are apomictic and polyploid. Apomixis is a condition in plants when viable seeds are produced without the need for pollination; gardeners who don’t want these plants reseeding are well advised to deadhead before seeds ripen. Polyploidy refers to the creation of more than two sets of chromosomes; the condition often results in plants with different leaf textures, numbers of flower petals, resistance (or susceptibility) to insects and diseases, etc. The combination of apomixis and polyploidy allows these species to spread widely in favorable environments. The name Alchemilla is derived from the Arabic alkemelych for this genus.