PerennialsDiscover the right perennial plants for your garden.
' Silver Carpet ' lamb ’s auricle . Photo by : Kristine Rad / Shutterstock
The best gardens please all the sense , including our sense of speck . Lamb ’s spike is one of those sinful perennials that feel as good as it look , with leaves so soft and velvety that you ca n’t resist stooping down to caress them for the sheer joy of it .
Although this easy - care industrial plant is usually acquire for the attractive silvery - gray leafage , some varieties also send up showy spike of purple or pink bloom in summertime . Drought tolerant and fast growing , lamb ’s capitulum is ideal for utilisation as a footing covering fire , edging a sunny border , or in rock garden plantings . And of course , it ’s a wonderful accession to asensory gardenbecause of its optical and haptic appeal .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Design idea
BASICS
Botanical name:
Stachys byzantina
Common names:
Woolly betony , donkey ’s ears , woolly hedge nettle
Plant type:
Herbaceous perennial
Zones:
4 - 9
Exposure:
Full sun to fond wraith
Growth habit:
Mounding , spreading
Height/spread:
4 to 18 inch marvellous , 12 to 36 in wide-cut
Bloom time:
summertime
Foliage:
Oblong to egg-shaped , densely hairy leaves are gray - light-green to silvery in show with a lenient , downy flavor .
Flowers:
Small two - lipped flowers bloom on unsloped husk in various nuance of pink and purple and , more rarely , white . Some cultivars are nonflowering .
Special attributes:
Is lamb’s ear invasive?
Although plants will spread readily in a favourable site via creeping stems , they are easily bump off where not wanted and are n’t considered invasive . blossom lamb ’s capitulum varieties can also spread through self - sowing , which can be controlled by deadheading the flower stalks .
PLANTING LAMB’S EAR
' Silver Carpet ' lamb ’s spike with blooms . Photo by : Igor Grochev / Shutterstock
When to plant:
In outflow , after the danger of frost has hap , and up until former dip . If establish in autumn , give plant enough clip to establish tooth root before winter .
Where to plant:
aboriginal to the Mediterranean , lamb ’s auricle develop just in full Lord’s Day ( at least 6 hours of sunlight daily ) but can do good from some afternoon subtlety in hot climates . Established plant life will tolerate drought , which makes them a slap-up option for drier spots in the garden . If using as an edging plant , produce in a situation where its spreading habit can be kept under control .
How to plant:
Dig a hole slenderly gravid than the plant ’s container , then gently remove the flora and place it in the hole with the crown level with the soil open . Backfill with soil , then water thoroughly . If planting in mass , space plants at least 12 inches apart , depending on their width at maturity , to ensure good air circulation and prevent overcrowding .
Growing in containers:
Because of its silvery foliage and downy grain , lamb ’s ear is a overnice alternative to cold miller orartemisiain container combination , acting as a cooling contrast to brilliantly colored anthesis annual . Be sure to implant in ahigh - quality all - purpose potting mix , using a container with drain holes so the roots wo n’t get waterlogged . Pair only with plants requiring similar exposure conditions and water requirement .
LAMB’S EAR CARE
take lamb ’s earin your garden , from Janey@digplantwaterrepeat .
Watering:
Give established plants about an in of water a week during dry charm , keeping the foliage as dry as potential by water at soil storey . Avoid overhead watering , since the hairy leave can trap water , lead to powdery mould and other fungal diseases . impart a stratum of mulch around the base of your plants can also avail prevent soil wet from coming in contact with the farewell .
Amendments and fertilizer:
If you have pack or heavy remains soil , amend it with compost or other organic issue to meliorate drainage . Lamb ’s auricle necessitate little alimentation to thrive , so fertilizing is generally unneeded .
Pruning and deadheading:
To keep your plants face neat and kempt , clip off the flower stubble at the base after the bloom slicing in midsummer . Some gardeners favour to rationalise off the efflorescence stalk as they form so the plant ’s muscularity remains focussed on the foliage . Plants may also benefit from thinning in midsummer to expose them to more sunlight and to better airwave circulation , which can scale down the chance for putrefaction .
Dividing:
Lamb ’s ear should bedividedevery three or four eld in springiness to prevent overcrowding and to improve works wellness . Generally , you ’ll know it ’s clip to carve up your plant when they start to die out in the center . drudge up the rootball and use a spade or sharp tongue to part into goodly , stock-still subdivision , which can then be replanted or shared .
Propagation:
Can be propagate from seeded player ( unless you ’re growing a non - bally variety ) or by division .
Overwintering:
This stalwart , cold - tolerant plant will withstand temperatures well below freezing without special shelter , but the foliage will die back to the ground in areas with harsh wintertime . waitress until former leaping to glance over away the dead foliage , and when the weather and soil warm up , the plant will send up novel , fleeceable growth .
Pests and diseases:
Lamb ’s ear has few pest problems , but can develop root guff and foliar disease in humid , overly lactating conditions . Remove wilting or rotting leave as shortly as you see them and make trusted the stain is well - drain .
LAMB’S EAR VARIETIES
Photo by : Kristine Rad / Shuttertstock
' Silver Carpet’Stachys byzantina’Silver Carpet '
Height and spread:4 to 6 inch improbable , 18 to 30 inches wide-cut
This non - blooming mixed bag shape a soft - textured flatness of silver leaf that remains unspoiled by lank flower stalks , so you do n’t have to worry about deadheading . Only turn up to 6 inches magniloquent , make it is ideal for use of goods and services as a fast - spreading ground cover .
pic by : Cristo95 / Shuttertstock
' Big ear ' , syn . ' Helene von Stein’Stachys byzantina’Big pinna '
peak and spread:6 to 12 in tall , 12 to 24 inches wide
As you might opine , this cultivar ’s claim to fame are the exceptionally large foliage , which grow up to 8 in in length . The foliage is also less woolly than that of other variety , making it less susceptible to damage under humid or damp precondition . Produces few to no flower .
Photo by : Aleksbbb / Shuttertstock
' Silky Fleece’Stachys byzantina’Silky Fleece '
meridian and spread:3 to 4 inches tall , 6 to 8 inches broad
This ground - hug dwarf variety forms a impenetrable carpet of silvery - immature foliage , topped by vertical stiletto heel of lilac - plum flowers in June 21 . The foliage are also small than those of the specie , but every bit as soft . A nifty choice for container planting .
Photo by : ESB Basic / Shuttertstock
' cotton plant Boll’Stachys byzantina’Cotton Boll '
Height and spread:6 to 18 inches improbable and full
identify for its fluffy white bloom that search like balls of cotton , this sterile cultivar does not create seed , which makes it light to curb its spread .
DESIGN IDEAS FOR USING LAMB’S EAR PLANTS
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