Soft, Silvery Lamb’s Ears Are a Garden Favorite
These furry, sturdy plants add a soft touch to the landscape and attract birds, bees and butterflies
It’s hard to resist lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), with its soft, furry leaves that just invite you to pet them. That alone is reason enough to add it to your garden. If you need further convincing, consider its many other virtues. These plants can handle poor soil, get by with minimal care and even tolerate low-water conditions. They spread easily — sometimes too easily. They attract birds, bees and butterflies, while also discouraging deer and rabbits. Most of all, the soft, silvery-green leaves are a great foil to other plants in the landscape.
Caution: Lamb’s ears can be an aggressive spreader and can become invasive in some areas.
Caution: Lamb’s ears can be an aggressive spreader and can become invasive in some areas.
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: Plant reaches 6 to 8 inches tall and 1 foot wide; flower spikes reach 12 to 18 inches tall.
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: Plant reaches 6 to 8 inches tall and 1 foot wide; flower spikes reach 12 to 18 inches tall.
Benefits and tolerances: Drought-tolerant, easy to grow; deer- and rabbit-resistant; flowers attract bees, birds and hummingbirds; spreads easily
Seasonal interest: Foliage stands out throughout the growing season; flower spikes add interest in spring and summer; may reflower in late summer and fall
When to plant: Spring
Seasonal interest: Foliage stands out throughout the growing season; flower spikes add interest in spring and summer; may reflower in late summer and fall
When to plant: Spring
Distinguishing traits. Lamb’s ears features soft, fuzzy, silvery-gray or green leaves. Many lamb’s ears plants have tall spikes of purple, pink or white flowers in late spring and summer.
Favorites
- The popular ‘Big Ears’ (syn. ‘Countess Helen von Stein’) cultivar can grow up to 10 inches tall, with taller stalks and proportionally larger ears. It’s also hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius (Zone 3) and can handle the warmer summer temperatures in Zone 10.
- ‘Cotton Boll’ and ‘Silver Carpet’ do not produce blooms; the latter is a slower spreader and good for areas where other cultivars might be invasive.
- ‘Primrose Heron’ has yellow leaves that turn chartreuse before becoming gray-green.
- ‘Silver Fleece’ has lilac-colored flowers.
‘Big Ears’ lamb’s ears, Tapien verbena (Verbena hybrid), tuberous vervain (Verbena rigida), Bulbine frutescens ‘Hallmark’ and a purple penstemon
How to use it. Lamb’s ears is usually grown for its color and texture. It is most effective when planted in a mass. It’s a fast-spreading ground cover and is especially useful in open, lightly shaded areas. The light-colored leaves provide an excellent contrast to darker green foliage. Lamb’s ears blends well with other perennials.
Use it to line pathways, sidewalks and driveways. Add lamb’s ears to raised beds and allow it to grow over the edges. The light gray-green color and fuzzy leaves also make it an excellent addition to a children’s garden, an evening garden or a sensory garden.
Use it to line pathways, sidewalks and driveways. Add lamb’s ears to raised beds and allow it to grow over the edges. The light gray-green color and fuzzy leaves also make it an excellent addition to a children’s garden, an evening garden or a sensory garden.
Planting notes. Choose a sunny spot with slightly acidic soil (6.0 to 6.5 pH) to slightly alkaline soil (7.0 to 7.8 pH) that drains well. Provide partial shade in areas with extremely hot summers. Set plants about 1 foot to 2 feet apart. Add mulch around the plants to conserve water and keep the low-growing leaves off the ground.
Water when the soil has dried out. Deadhead spikes if you want to prevent reseeding. Clean out any brown or shredded foliage periodically and cut down flower stalks after they finish blooming.
Divide in spring or fall when the center develops a bare spot, usually about every two to four years. If the plants aren’t doing well, add compost or a balanced fertilizer in spring; otherwise, they should be fine.
Lamb’s ears may be subject to rot if the soil is too wet. It also may be bothered by powdery mildew and snails.
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Water when the soil has dried out. Deadhead spikes if you want to prevent reseeding. Clean out any brown or shredded foliage periodically and cut down flower stalks after they finish blooming.
Divide in spring or fall when the center develops a bare spot, usually about every two to four years. If the plants aren’t doing well, add compost or a balanced fertilizer in spring; otherwise, they should be fine.
Lamb’s ears may be subject to rot if the soil is too wet. It also may be bothered by powdery mildew and snails.
More
How to Create a Cottage-Style Garden
Discover more great design plants on Houzz
Common names: Lamb’s ears, woolly hedgenettle
Origin: Turkey, Armenia and Iran
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone); may not tolerate summers that are very hot and humid