PerennialsDiscover the right perennial plants for your garden.
' Silver Carpet ' lamb ’s ear . Photo by : Kristine Rad / Shutterstock
The good garden please all the senses , include our sensory faculty of soupcon . Lamb ’s ear is one of those sinful perennial that feel as honest as it depend , with leaves so diffused and velvety that you ca n’t resist lower oneself down to fondle them for the sheer joy of it .
Although this easy - aid plant life is usually uprise for the attractive silver - gray foliage , some varieties also send up jazzy spikes of regal or pink flowers in summer . drouth tolerant and fast growth , lamb ’s ear is ideal for use as a ground covering fire , border a gay border , or in rock garden plantings . And of course , it ’s a wonderful improver to asensory gardenbecause of its visual and tactual charm .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Design musical theme
BASICS
Botanical name:
Stachys byzantina
Common names:
Woolly betony , domestic ass ’s ears , woolly circumvent nettle
Plant type:
Herbaceous perennial
Zones:
4 - 9
Exposure:
Full sun to partial shade
Growth habit:
Mounding , spreading
Height/spread:
4 to 18 column inch marvellous , 12 to 36 in wide
Bloom time:
Summer
Foliage:
Oblong to elliptic , thickly hirsute leaves are gray - green to silvery in show with a diffuse , downy feel .
Flowers:
lowly two - lipped flowers efflorescence on vertical stalks in various shade of pink and empurpled and , more seldom , lily-white . Some cultivar are nonflowering .
Special attributes:
Is lamb’s ear invasive?
Although flora will circulate pronto in a lucky web site via crawl fore , they are easily removed where not want and are n’t conceive incursive . Flowering lamb ’s auricle varieties can also spread through ego - sowing , which can be controlled by deadheading the bloom still hunt .
PLANTING LAMB’S EAR
' Silver Carpet ' lamb ’s auricle with blooms . Photo by : Igor Grochev / Shutterstock
When to plant:
In spring , after the risk of frost has passed , and up until early fall . If set in evenfall , give plants enough time to demonstrate root before winter .
Where to plant:
Native to the Mediterranean , lamb ’s pinna grows best in full sun ( at least 6 60 minutes of sunlight day by day ) but can profit from some afternoon tincture in hot climates . shew plants will tolerate drought , which makes them a great pick for drier spots in the garden . If using as an edge plant , uprise in a internet site where its spreading habit can be keep under restraint .
How to plant:
Dig a muddle slightly tumid than the plant ’s container , then gently off the industrial plant and place it in the hole with the crown layer with the grease open . Backfill with soil , then water thoroughly . If planting in mass , space plants at least 12 inches apart , depend on their width at maturity , to control good air circulation and prevent overcrowding .
Growing in containers:
Because of its silver foliage and downy grain , lamb ’s ear is a decent alternative to dusty miller orartemisiain container combinations , acting as a cool contrast to brilliantly colored flowering annuals . Be certain to set in ahigh - quality all - intention potting mixture , using a container with drainage holes so the root wo n’t get waterlogged . Pair only with plant requiring similar photo conditions and piss requirements .
LAMB’S EAR CARE
memorize lamb ’s earin your garden , from Janey@digplantwaterrepeat .
Watering:
Give established plant about an inch of water a week during dry go , keeping the foliation as ironical as possible by water at ground level . Avoid overhead watering , since the hairy leaves can immobilize weewee , leave to powdery mold and other fungal diseases . Adding a layer of mulch around the base of your plant can also aid forestall soil wet from derive in contact with the farewell .
Amendments and fertilizer:
If you have compacted or ponderous mud soil , amend it with compost or other organic matter to improve drain . Lamb ’s ear require minuscule nourishment to flourish , so fertilizing is by and large unneeded .
Pruning and deadheading:
To keep your plant life look groovy and tidy , clip off the flush stalks at the base after the blooms fade in June 21 . Some gardener favour to dress off the flower stalks as they constitute so the plant ’s energy remains focused on the foliage . Plants may also gain from thin in midsummer to expose them to more sunshine and to improve gentle wind circulation , which can reduce the chance for rot .
Dividing:
Lamb ’s ear should bedividedevery three or four twelvemonth in springtime to prevent overcrowding and to better plant wellness . Generally , you ’ll know it ’s time to separate your plant when they begin to die out out in the center . Dig up the rootball and use a spade or tart knife to divide into healthy , stock-still discussion section , which can then be replanted or share .
Propagation:
Can be diffuse from seminal fluid ( unless you ’re grow a non - bally variety ) or by section .
Overwintering:
This hardy , insensate - large-minded plant will withstand temperatures well below freeze without exceptional protection , but the leafage will die back to the ground in areas with rough winter . Wait until former spring to rake away the beat foliage , and when the weather and soil warm up up , the plant life will send up new , dark-green development .
Pests and diseases:
Lamb ’s ear has few pestis problems , but can develop root rot and foliar disease in humid , overly wet condition . Remove wilting or rot leave-taking as soon as you see them and ensure the soil is well - drain .
LAMB’S EAR VARIETIES
picture by : Kristine Rad / Shuttertstock
' Silver Carpet’Stachys byzantina’Silver Carpet '
Height and spread:4 to 6 inch improbable , 18 to 30 inches full
This non - crashing multifariousness forms a easy - textured matte of silvery foliage that remains unspoiled by lank blossom stalks , so you do n’t have to care about deadheading . Only grows up to 6 inches tall , make it is idealistic for usance as a tight - spreading groundcover .
Photo by : Cristo95 / Shuttertstock
' Big Ears ' , syn . ' Helene von Stein’Stachys byzantina’Big Ears '
superlative and spread:6 to 12 inches marvellous , 12 to 24 inches wide
As you might guess , this cultivar ’s claim to fame are the exceptionally declamatory leaf , which grow up to 8 inch in distance . The leafage is also less wooly-minded than that of other potpourri , make it less susceptible to damage under humid or dampen consideration . produce few to no flowers .
Photo by : Aleksbbb / Shuttertstock
' Silky Fleece’Stachys byzantina’Silky Fleece '
meridian and spread:3 to 4 inch tall , 6 to 8 inches panoptic
This ground - hugging dwarf variety form a dense rug of silvery - greenish foliage , topped by upright spikes of lilac - plum tree flower in midsummer . The leaves are also smaller than those of the species , but every bit as soft . A great option for container plantings .
picture by : ESB Basic / Shuttertstock
' Cotton Boll’Stachys byzantina’Cotton Boll '
Height and spread:6 to 18 inches magniloquent and wide
name for its downlike white blossom that bet like balls of cotton plant , this aseptic cultivar does not produce seed , which relieve oneself it well-off to curb its bedspread .
DESIGN IDEAS FOR USING LAMB’S EAR PLANTS
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