Lamb's Ear Plants

Stachys byzantina

Stachys byzantina, Lamb's Ear, is a gorgeous low perennial, useful for filling gaps and providing bright, furred, low-level foliage contrast in sunny borders and patio pots.

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The little flower spikes are adorned with small purple flowers, but people mainly grow Stachys for its thick, woolly leaves, which spread from April to form a soft silver-green mat of tactile loveliness. The flower spikes reach about 45cm, and are equally felted and furry, covered from June to September in little whorls of purple-pink flowers, which hug prettily to the stems.

It is attractive to bees, especially the Wool Carder Bee, which likes to use Lamb's Ear fibres for its nest.

In the garden

Lamb's ear likes a sunny, well-drained spot, where it will soon spread to around 60cm. Dig in a little leaf mould or well-rotted garden compost when planting, especially if the soil is heavy. It's strictly speaking an evergreen, but when the older foliage looks tatty later in autumn, give it a trim to keep it looking fresh. Deadhead the flowers to help the plant thrive with lush leaves.

Slugs like this plant, so take steps against them if they are in your area.

This is a ground cover plant that associates well with all kinds of sun loving perennials, especially in tones of plum, pink and blue. So plant under a pink shrub rose, and then combine with claret heucheras, purple-blue Geranium Rozanne and salvia for a fabulous summer border. It looks lovely spilling over a sunny path.

In a pot on a sunny patio, try it with lavender, soft silver-tinted grasses, or any number of annual bedding plants. A dark mass of deep purple petunias would look lovely with the silver foliage of stachys.

Features

• Colour: purple-pink
• Flowering: June-September
• Foliage: silver-white, thick and fluffy
• Height: 45cm
• Spread: 60cm
• Spacing: 60cm
• Position: sun
• Soil: well-drained

Did you know?

Stachys (meaning ear of grain, due to the shape of the flowers) is native to Turkey, Armenia and Iran, which gives it the name byzantina. Stachys lanata or Stachys olympica are synonyms.

Stachys byzantina needs sun or very light shade. Grows well in fertile, well-drained soil, spaced about 60cm apart. Dig in garden compost when planting and water well. Also works well in pots.

Cut down spent flowers spikes, tidy up tatty foliage in autumn.