Long leaves, thickly covered in soft bristles and whitish grey to the eye, throw up pink or purple flower spikes climbing to nearly 2 feet. Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) earns its place as an elegant silver sheet of ground cover in hot, dry spots, and asks only for well-drained soil: given that, it shrugs off both drought and deep cold.
| Name | Stachys lanata or byzantina |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Type | Perennial |
| Height | 12 to 24 inches when blooming (30 to 60 cm) |
| Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil | Light, well-drained |
| Flowering | Late spring to mid-autumn |
You can plant lamb’s ear in Spring or in Fall, it isn’t really important. In mild areas, you can even plant from October to May-June. Keep a distance of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) between plants.
You can propagate your Stachys in spring or fall through crown division by separating offshoots.
Preparing cuttings is very easy in Spring.
Also, sowing is very successful at the beginning of summer. Use seed collected the year before from dried flowers.
Stachys multiplies very readily, and you have a choice of three methods according to the season you are in. Each one uses a different part of the plant, so pick the one that matches the material you have to hand.
| Method | When | What you use | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown division | Early spring or early autumn | Offshoots separated from the clump | Straightforward |
| Cuttings | Spring | Prepared cuttings from the plant | Very easy |
| Sowing | Early summer | Seed collected the year before from dried flowers | Very successful |
Whichever route you take, space the young plants 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) apart in light, well-drained soil.
Lamb’s ear can take full sun, but it hates excess water.
Always pour the water at the base of the clump, since the woolly leaves hold moisture and rot easily once soaked.
Avoid overhead sprinklers on lamb’s ear altogether.
Water newly planted clumps regularly until fresh leaves appear, then let the rain do the work.
From Spring to Winter, it’s very easy to care for Stachys. It can hold up to deep colds (-2°F or -19°C), and it doesn’t fear drought: this plant shouldn’t give you any problems at all. To extend the blooming and favor lush foliage, here are a few tips that can help:
In winter, as soon as you see that leaves are beginning to wilt, cut them off and lay them around as mulch.
This happens when it’s both cold and very wet.
New shoots will sprout again in spring.
This plant is also known under the name “woolly hedgenettle”, thanks to the fuzz that’s on its leaves: it looks like wool! The shape of the leaves also led the plant to earn a few more names as well: rabbit’s ears and bear’s ears to name a few. Leaves are rather long and covered with a thin layer of soft bristles. A typical herbaceous plant, it stands out due to its whitish gray color. The flowers, which can be either pink or purple, climb to nearly 2 feet (60 cm).
Another species is Stachys grandiflora. Like the other lamb’s ear plants, it’s very well adapted to hot and dry climates. You can use this plant to form an elegant sheet of ground cover.
Include these unique gray-colored plants in your colorful flower beds!
