Lambs Ears

An old cottage-garden favourite, Stachys byzantina is an evergreen perennial with a vigorous, weed-suppressing, mat-forming habit. The elliptical leaves are silvery-grey, soft and almost woolly, giving the plant its common name of lambs ears, and form a spreading basal clump. In June and July, soft, woolly stems, 20/50cm tall, rise above the clump, with tiny purple-pink flowers in whorls around the stem; the flowers are attractive to bees. Lambs ears is a very useful and attractive, drought-tolerant, foliage plant; remove any mildewed or worn leaves at the end of winter to let the new leaves shine.

Site: Tolerates exposure
Soil: Any light, well-drained soil
Position: Full sun
Season of interest: All year, midsummer in particular
Hardiness: Very hardy
Height: 20 (50cm) Spread: over 2 (60cm)

Photos by Carl Lewis, cropped, and licensed under CC BY 2.0.