Stachys byzantina
Lamb's ear
Common names: Woolly hedgenettle
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Stachys byzantina, commonly known as lamb's ear, is a low-growing garden shrub with densely silvery, hairy leaves that resemble soft animal ears. The foliage feels velvety and forms a dense, gray-white carpet along the garden edge throughout the year. In summer, delicate violet flower spikes rise on stems up to 40 cm tall, attracting bumblebees and honeybees. As a hardy steppe plant, it tolerates heat and drought well, making it ideal for sunny borders and gravel gardens.
Care instructions
Plant in full sun on a warm site with well‑draining, somewhat sandy soil. Avoid waterlogging, especially in winter, as it can cause rotting leaf shoots. Water only during prolonged dry spells after establishment; otherwise the plant copes with natural rainfall. Prune spent flower heads in late summer and remove wilted leaf parts in early spring (around week 14 of the year) to encourage fresh, dense foliage. Divide the clumps every three to four years to maintain vigor and prevent internal hardening.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Aug
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, sandy, dry
Lamb's ears loves it dry and free-draining, preferably in lean, sandy soil without waterlogging. Loosen heavy, loamy soils with sand or fine gravel, otherwise the felted leaves rot at the root collar. Nutrient-rich soil lets the plant grow, but the characteristic silvery hairs become thinner and less dense.
Feeding
Light feeder
Lamb's ears needs practically no feeding; on the contrary, soil that is too nutrient-rich harms it. In spring, a thin layer of ripe compost around the plant is enough if the soil is naturally very lean. Drainage deserves more attention than the nutrient supply.
Overwintering
Lamb's ears is hardy and usually gets through German winters outdoors without problems. The greatest danger is not the cold but wet; waterlogged soil in winter makes the clumps rot. On heavy soils, a layer of gravel or grit around the root zone helps so that rain and meltwater drain away quickly.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
- From seed
The easiest way is to divide established clumps in spring or early autumn and plant the pieces straight away in a new, sunny spot. Lamb's ears also propagates well by cuttings; a non-flowering shoot roots in lean, free-draining substrate within a few weeks. Sowing is possible, but takes longer to the first flowers and the seedlings sometimes show weaker hairiness than the mother plant. Division gives you strong, densely felted young plants fastest.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Lamb's ear yourself
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