Perennial Lamb's Ear Plants
Stachys byzantina, most commonly known as lamb's ear also goes by the names betony, bunnies' ears, Chinese artichoke, hedge nettle, lamb's tongue and woundwort. Stachys is Greek for "an ear of grain" referring to the shape of the flower spikes, while byzantina refers to the plant's Middle Eastern origin. It has been used medicinally for centuries in a variety of ailments including the treatment of wounds. Does this Spark an idea?
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About Lamb's Ear
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Today, lamb's ear most commonly appears as a contrast plant in gardens from U.S. Department of Agriculture planting zones 3 through 8. Its silvery gray-green leaves have a soft, suede-like texture. Spikes of tiny flowers in shades of pink, purple or white appear late spring into early summer, though many gardeners remove these to keep the focus on foliage, there are also non-flowering varieties. Flowers are frequented by bees and hummingbirds. The plants are deer, rabbit and groundhog resistant.
Where to Grow
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While lamb's ear can be invasive in warmer climates, it is very easy to keep under control and well worth the effort as it thrives in all but heavy and wet soil and will tolerate both sun and partial shade. It looks best either as a rambling ground cover or as a soft edging, especially in a rock garden or against purple leafed plants such as Licorice heuchera or purple sage.
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Flowering Lamb's Ear
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Primrose Heron sports dull pink flowers over soft blue-green leaves that age to yellow. Plant height reaches 6 to 12 inches with a width of 12 to 15 inches. Cotton Ball is readily a favorite as its pale white flowers resemble small cotton balls. Its downy, silver foliage has white hairs and grows to a height and width of 8 to 12 inches. The flowers of Silky Fleece bloom lilac-plum on a dwarf plant with leaves about the size of a dime. Height and width is about 10 inches.
Occasional and Non-flowering Lamb's Ear
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Although mostly non-flowering, the occasional blooming spike may occur on these varieties. Helen Von Stein has large, felted, gray-green leaves that form a low mound 12 to 18 inches high and 1 to 2 feet wide. This variety best tolerates humidity. Striped Phantom boasts variegated silvery-gray leaves with irregular creamy patches in the center. It grows 8 to 12 inches high and 12 to 20 inches high. Silver Carpet forms dense clumps of thick, wooly silver-gray leaves reaching 4 to 6 inches tall and 12 to 23 inches wide.
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