Lamb’s Ear

Stachys byzantina
Also known as Woolly Lamb’s Ear, Donkey’s Ears, Lamb’s Wool, Wooly Betony, Woolly Hedgenettle

$5.00

In stock

Description

I have fond memories of giving garden tours to kids and encouraging them to touch lamb’s ear leaves. This usually brings about exclamations of delight, “Oh they’re like bunny ears!” The kids would then tuck the velvety leaves behind their ears and prance down the garden path like mischievous fairies.

Grown ups will also delight in lamb’s ear’s practical characteristics such as being a hardy, deer resistant, drought resistant perennial that covers the ground with soft, gray-green foliage. Lamb’s ear require little maintenance and prefers dry, well-draining soil, where it will spread by sending rooted stems laterally. Lamb’s ear is great to grow along garden paths, protecting bare feet with a soft carpet of downy leaves. It’s also a useful plant to grow as a weed barrier, particularly from grass and rhizomatous weeds.

In the summer, lamb’s ear produces sturdy flowering stems with cute woolly buds and purple flowers that attract lots of bees. I harvest the unopened flower stems to dry for wreath making and to add to fresh arrangements.

Details

Lifecycle: Perennial
Hardiness zones: 4 – 8 (USDA)
Habitats: Rocky hills
Plant size: 6-8 in tall x  12-36 in wide
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained, dry, and poor soil
Water: Moderate water once established
Seeds per packet: 50+ seeds

Seed Starting

Start seeds indoors 4 – 8 weeks before last frost date. Gently press seeds into soil. Do not cover; light is required for germination. Transplant after last frost. Space 1 foot apart.

Cultivation

Lamb’s ear is a very easy to grow perennial ground cover that can handle heat and drought extremely well. I place lamb’s ear along borders of our perennial beds to block grass from creeping in. It does a fine of job of this because it spreads very quickly by rooted stems. It just takes one to two years to have the ground fully covered with dense, soft, silvery leaves. In spring, I use a shovel to cut and divide them and replant the cuttings to fill in gaps or start a new patch. Dividing large clumps will help reduce chances of fungal diseases.

Harvest

Lamb’s ears make excellent bouquet fillers and dry foliage for wreath making. You can harvest them pretty much at any time and any stage. For most purposes, I prefer to wait until the plants send up flowering stalks in the early summer and harvest these, which gives me nice long stem length to work with. For drying, I harvest the flowering stems before the purple flowers open and hang them upside down to dry.

Propagation

Lamb’s ear propagate both by division and by seeds. Divisions can be taken in the spring and fall. Look for stems with roots growing on them. I’ve found that even a 6″ piece of rooted stem is enough to get a patch going. From a dense clump, many divisions can be taken to propagate more. Lamb’s ear benefits from thinning as this opens up space for light and air to reach the plant.

Seed Saving

Seeds can be collected in August/September when the plants have finished flowering. Once the stalks are completely dry and feel crunchy to the touch, cut the whole stalk to the ground. Holding a bunch of stalks in your hand, thresh by beating them vigorously upside down into a bucket to release the seeds. The seed are fairly big and easy to recognize. If cleaner seeds are desired, screen with a fine mesh sieve and winnow as necessary.

Additional information

Weight0.007 lbs
Dimensions4.5 × 3.25 × .05 in

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