Lamb's ear

Lamb's ear Stachys byzantina

What is the plant

Stachys byzantina is a species of Stachys, native to Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. It is cultivated over much of the temperate world as an ornamental plant, and is naturalised in some locations as an escapee from gardens.

Stachys olympica and Stachys lanata are the two other botanical names often used for this plant. However, people know it as the lamb’s ears plant. They are named so because of the curved shape of their leaves, which makes them look like ears. Other common names of the plant include Woolly hedgenettle, Donkey’s ears, Jesus flannel, Bear’s ear, Cat’s ear, Bunnies’ ears, Lamb’s tongue, Rabbit ear, Mouse ear, Lamb’s wool and Woolly woundwort. The plant is mainly grown for its velvety leaves which are densely covered with tiny and fine silver-white, fur-like hair, lamb’s ears plant displays a spreading habit. It typically forms a 6″ – 8″ inch tall compact mound with a spread of about 12″ – 36″ inches. The height of the plant rises up to 12″ – 18″ inches during the flowering season, when the plant produces racemes of magenta-pink flowers.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

10°C - 24°C

Hardiness zone

min 4a

Difficulty

Easy

Water
Lamb's ears are drought-tolerant in the north. you will lose some of the older leaves during dry spells (they brown up and look quite unsightly, so remove them), but the plant itself will survive. avoid watering the plants overhead, as the leaves will rot or develop fungal leaf spot or powdery mildew if they get too wet. lamb's-ear plant profile‧16 silver foliage plants to brighten your landscape
Sunlight
They can be quite sensitive to too much direct sun, particularly in the afternoon, and will need shade during the hottest parts of the day.
Fertilizer
When it comes to fertilizers, you want to avoid over-fertilizing (just like an overdose of vitamins isn't great for us, either). Less is more, so it’s important to follow what the package says for application amounts.

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Soil
Requires a well-drained, loose mixture of potting soil.
Pruning
It is important to never remove more than a third of the foliage in any one year and to cut just above a node on the stem.
Temperature
This plant can withstand a range of temperatures but as a ground cover, it dislikes humid conditions. The lowest temperature it can survive is 0°F (-17°C).

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Container
When choosing a pot, choose a pot that is 2.5-5 cm (1-2”) larger than the current size. Ceramic pots are porous which means your plants are less likely to experience root rot from overwatering. It also means you'll have to water more often. Plastic pots are lighter, less likely to break, and easier to clean.
Additional
The plant is known as woolly woundwort or Woolly Betony due to its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties.
Popularity
1,336 people already have this plant 421 people have added this plant to their wishlists