PlantFiles: Lamb's Ear
Stachys byzantina

I'd love for this plant to be invasive...so far, it grew pretty good where I live, and then turned into JELLY. Hopefully it comes back this year.

Perhaps I groped it to death? :)

I love my lamb's ear. I got a cutting from a friend. I think in her yard, in the sun, it will get huge and invasive. I put it in a partially shaded spot where I hadn't been able to get anything else to grow and it is doing wonderful. I wanted a lot of space filled, so if it spreads out it will be even better. It offers great contrast and I never water it at all. The natural rain fall is all it takes.

I purchased a large plant from a nursery not knowing what the small little plant growing in the pot with it was.So, I I planted both. The unidentified plant turned out to be lamb's ear. Last year I just had beautiful foliage. This year, the plants have reached a height of at least two feet and are sending up plant spikes with YELLOW flowers. The flowers are very pretty. I can't find any information about a variety of flower colors. I assumed they would be purple.
These plants seem to have a great personality and I will continue to encourage more! My grandchildren love to touch them and watch them grow. If anyone knows why the flowers are yellow, please post. Thanks.

Thanks to the members , they were able to identify my plant without a picture. I love watching it grow, reach for the sun ,and shelter it's inner parts from the rain. Hopefully it won't become too intrusive only because I rent and only have a small space to grow things. I also hope it my lambs ear will flower and show it's full beauty.

One of these came up randomly last year in my front yard, and I left it, not knowing what it was. I guess I overwatered it because it died when the hot weather hit, and I killed it with kindness. This year a whole patch of them came up, a very long distance from the original one, in the midst of petunias I had planted. I'm thinking of digging them up and relocating them, though I'm not sure how they'll fare with disturbing them. The soil they came up in is unamended clay, is in full sun, except for the shade the petunias cast, and gets regular water from sprinkler overspray and drip a couple days per week. This time I am not giving additional water, and I see that they are much larger than the lone one I killed last year. None of them have gotten large enough to flower yet, and I have no idea where the original seeds came from. All I know is, if they can self seed and grow here in the Arizona heat, then I like them!

I treat as an annual and discard it when it gets leggy. Such a great plant to use in combo planters. I give it gentle haircuts to keep it from getting leggy too soon.

Host plant for the Mealybug Destroyer which also preys on thrips.
Plant near roses to help control these pests.

I bought lamb's ear at a home store because I loved the soft gray leaves and my sister has a lot of it in Atlanta. The first two years it did well and looked adorable, but I guess our north Florida heat-and-humidity got to it, because it declined and has died out now. I will probably replace it, but I hesitate after reading all the negative comments. Still, I love the touch and will probably just prune out the flower.

On the one hand, it can grow on the moon. On the other hand, it is invasive and has killed my Chocolate Chip Ajuga, among other things. And the flowers are a pain to remove, because if you don't, they flop over and open the plant. Best to remove them and let later growth fill in the gaps. On the other hand, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) can smother IT out. I guess there's your smothering hierarchy right there.

But they're so soft! I can forgive its faults because of that.

No one's mentioned how great the flower stalks are in flower arrangements. They last a really long time and compliment other flowers and colors very well in many different types of arrangements. I can just yank out what I don't want when it gets too big in my yard, or trowel up the new seedlings and pass them along. I love it and hope to always have some in cultivation. My soil is not super fertile, so I have not had a problem with it being too invasive. I'll try the dried flower idea too. Thank you!

I recieved a fairly large clump of Lambs Ear... dividied it up into 4 smaller clumps and so far i do like how the plant is growing.
I may, in the future, take the flower stalks down, i find the beauty of the plant is in its leaves.

deer seem to leave it alone and it looks soft and fuzzy. What more could you ask for?

Hi:
This plant grows in Arizona. anything that grows in AZ is good for us. I did overwater mine. Anything I can do to help this. They look all wilty and dying. I cut a few back just to see but will be over 110 this week. I will propably have crispy critters.
Thanks
Linda

I found this plant quite easy to grow in full to partial shade. I have not experienced any problems with invasive qualities given it has room to spread out. Since it is attractive to bees and butterflies I would recomend it in the flower garden. Another quality I like is has no insect or disease problems. the only cutural problem seems to be too wet a site.

I also found this plant to be very invasive. Were it to stay in a small area (1' circumference or less) I suppose the grey color would be a nice contrast to other plants in a garden. However, it multiplies like crazy and just distracts from any other plants you might have. Unfortunately, however, (and perhaps this should be used to evaluate all of my submissions), my wife, the horticultralist, loves it.

I appreciate this plant's ability to spread. My garden has been full of cheat grass and anything that can displace the cheat grass is an improvement. I use it pricipally as a ground cover. The flowers are ordinary. The leaves are profuse and a soft grey colour. Its contrasting colour makes it that more enjoyable under and around our cedar trees.

What can I say? Its a plant you can pet. I purchased this plant two weeks ago and I am anxiously antisipating it taking over. Lightning struck my Maple tree two years ago and I had to have it cut down. The ground that was once bare underneath the tree is now supporting ugly ground cover. I have roughly a 20'/30' section well away from other gardens for it to cover and it will be far more attractive than the other ground cover.

In just two weeks it has almost doubled. It had two tiny blooms when I got it and now it has four large blooms and six tiny to medium size blooms. I love this plant. Every time I am out working in my yard I have to go pet it.

I did not realize the plant could grow, even thrive, in my area. (Later I found out that my mom had them in her garden and she had to take them all out because they got too evasive.) Anyway, I purchased one small container while in southern California last summer. I was so afraid to plant it, thinking it would just die. The rain in late fall certainly made the plant less fuzzy and fun to "pet" but it faired the winter well. I went out recently and not only does the plant have new growth but it looks like it is starting to spread out a little bit now too. I planted it at the base of a sweet-gum tree in the middle of our back yard. The bottom of the tree is encircled by bricks, creating a raised bed about 3 feet across. The backyard gets FULL SUN all summer and seemed to be fairly drought tolerant (though I do try to water it myself routinely - but I can be forgetful sometimes or just get too busy). I am so happy and hope that it will take over the whole area surrounding the tree soon. My blooms are purple and I love them - so I am hoping to see more of them this summer!

This plant can be a real pest...even tearing it out by the roots will not kill it. I dug it all up once and transplanted a few small plants in a side section in almost pure clay, out of the way. The residuals still come up in two raised beds of roses and perennials, and I have to be on alert and yank them out from year to year.

Otherwise, they're like ivy...keep them under control and they provide lots of cover for problem areas.

I have had this plant for years and it is still fun to pet. If it is in an area without enough sun or with too much moisture, the leaves do turn a bit brown and splotchy. I wouldn't put it too close to the edge of a bed; bumble bees love it and defend it from anyone walking by. Be careful where you put the cuttings when you deadhead it. There are tons of seeds and they come up for YEARS! It will even thrive in poor soil.

This was planted by the property's previous owner....we have a rock wall that lines our driveway, and there was a 5x30 section of this growing in the wall. I've pulled and dug, and decided the only way to get rid of it is spray. The plant has been there for 15+ years and has displaced many of the rocks. Invasive and very hard to get rid of.

This plant was very invasive in my yard. I had got a few cuttings from a close friend and within a month, i kid you not, it had practically taken over my yard. I took it all out, well i thought i did, and a few weeks later it was coming back up! I really ahd to dig at it and dig deep. If you want to get rid of it, try round up, it takes tooo much time to try and dip it out or pull it out, it always seems to come back twice as strong. Oh yea, and the whiteflys love it too.

Have had these for a few years. They seem to thrive in a.m. sun and afternoon shade. Mine get really large, but haven't been invasive. Easy to care for.

A few Lamb's Ears were planted several years ago on the east side of my house in a patch of waste ground that was covered with small rocks. We never bothered moving the rocks yet the plants have taken over the plot. The area is surrounded with cement which keeps it from invading other garden areas. This spot gets morning sun only but the plants manage to flower anyway. The only maintenance we do is pull the occasional weed. Children love these plants because they really do feel like lambs' ears.

a fantastic bee plant .... planted just for that reason.

Mine is growing in a streetside bed with part sun. I like the silvery leaves but the leaves on the bottom keep turning brown and ugly. What am I doing wrong?

This plant is a nice accent plant against dark green plants. I got two small pieces from a friend, and two years later, it has covered almost a 18' by 20' area! My whole garden floor is covered with it. I mean, I love the plant and how well it does. It seems to thrive on neglect.

I never fertilize it, and it hardly gets any water, and yet it still grows and spreads like crazy! It is kind of hard to get out of the ground to get rid of it, so I have to shovel it out,, but I kept a little small area of it! I love the feel of the leaves--they are sooo soft. It is an amazing plant, but spreads quick--might be better suited in a pot, or container.

In 2004, I put one small lamb's ear plant close against the house, where it had been dug up and backfilled for some foundation repair. It developed into a small mound by the end of the summer, and this year it has exploded into a huge mat of soft, fuzzy foliage. It doesn't seem to mind heavy clay soil and hot, dry conditions. The green leaves are covered in small hairs, which give it a grey or silvery colour. The hairs help reflect light and prevent moisture loss, so it's quite drought tolerant. It is a member of the mint family, which are known for being invasive, but in this case it's good because I need it for erosion control. The flowers are unremarkable but they attract many bees.

Unfortunately it can also start looking weedy later in the year, when the plant elongates before flowering. Heavy rain and/or high winds can flatten it. The tips will grow upward again but the rest of the stalk will remain on the ground. This decumbent habit can look ugly and will be a problem if it intrudes into other plants' space. Don't be afraid to cut it back - this plant is as tough as nails.

This is a great grey/white accent in between all the green I have going on in the garden. I have a lot of iris and this seems to soften things a bit.

Grows readily even in poor soil, separated plants are quickly recovered and beautiful.

The flowers are awesome and different also.

I purchased two very small plants last year and they have grown (in a sunny location) to a patch about 2 feet by 3 feet and about 18 inches tall. It hasn't started to flower yet and I'm looking forward to seeing the blooms and drying them. I plan to split this plant and give my friends and family starts as it's taking over my lavender garden. It's a beautiful plant which does well in hard clay but really grows too fast to plant anywhere you don't want it to take over.

I don't much care for foliage plants but lamb's ears are a novelty. The "ears" feel just like a lamb's ears. It has attractive dusky gray, furry leaves and has a nice carpeting habit of growth.

I've not yet had the experience of dealing with it as a pest. My plant is a second year division from a neighbor's, growing in part sun, which may have reduced the invasiveness.

They should be uncovered and removed of dead foliage in the spring to promote new, attractive and healthy growth.

This lovely plant just invites you to touch it - its leaves certainly are soft as a "lamb's ear". The flowers are small & nondescript, & I usually remove them.

Needs very well-draining soil to prevent rot & prefers full sun. Will tolerate some shade, but may get leggy.

Like all silver-leaved plants, this old-time medicinal herb makes a wonderful addition to a "Moon" or "White" garden.

This plant is just about indestructible. I leave it as filler (it took over the entire back yard at one point) until I find a plant I want more. And actually, I leave a few patches here and there as accents.

Thrives here in Saskatchewan Zone 3.
Lovely in "Moon" gardens.

The flowering stalks of this plant can also be dried for fall arrangements. Simply cut it off close to the base of the plant when the "head" is in full bloom and hang it upside down to dry. Leaves may also be dried and used (air dry). Moisture in the air can cause the "heads" to droop sometimes, so best used lying horizonal in a fireside basket arrangement, or plan the shape of the arrangement accordingly.

I grow many of these for just that purpose. Great plant!

I like this plants foliage and how vigorous it is. Its only downside to me is that it can wilt and go mouldy in humid summer weather. A hardy and relatively cheap plant.

I have it growing wild everywhere (New Jersey) we haven't seeded our new lawn - it took me a while to figure out that it's not necessarily a weed - I'm going to start transplanting it into my gardens!

I live in northern Maine, and this plant seems to thrive in my garden. I planted a small plant from an end of the season sale at my local nursery, last September. I wasn't sure it was make it in this climate. This summer it has tripled in size. I love the color and the texture.

I absolutely LOVE the texture and look of this species. I have it planted in really poor clay soil that I amended with mushroom composte and other things. On top of that, there is some lava rock on top and the plant is thriving incredibly well. It's a change of pace kind of plant that's really eye-catching in a rock garden. It sure gets lots of positive reviews and acknowledgement from family and friends who see it in my garden.

ladyhawkrvc, Plainfield, IL

I have a love/hate relationship with this plant. It grows in excess in my gardens, but that means I always have some to share with friends. I do love the scent when you cut the blossom stalks off, it reminds me of grape koolaid. I am continually digging the older plants up and tossing them and then leaving the younger ones till they become a pest also.

Yes, it's velvety to the touch and pleasing to the eye, but it can get way out of hand if you don't keep it from spreading all over the place.

After seeing this plant on Califronia's Central Coast, I fell in love with it. I tried and tried to grow Lamb's ears in my climate (Zone 8). It is very dry, hot and windy in the summer and very dry, cold and windy in the winter. When I stopped babying this plant it went wild. I am very happy with it.

The plant foliage looks great and neutralizes well in cruddy soil... my only complaint is that mine won't flower in the relatively shady area it's planted in.

Beautiful plant with a "fuzzy" texture. This plant is doing great in clay-like soil, with sun but not too much sun. It is hot here and I water it once a week. Lamb's Ear spreads outward from the center and creates a dead spot in the center. Not great for borders.

This plant is deer-resistant.

This plant did very well for me in a sunny, hot, hard packed red clay flower border in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, but seems to have died out in my new garden in Northcentral Florida after an extremely wet, cloudy and cool summer. I planted it in a raised bed here, but that didn't seem to help. I'm waiting to see if it will come back this fall, and if it doesn't I will just give up on it for my area. I did enjoy the way it could fill up the front of a border up in Georgia, though, as I was trying to landscape a new yard after the builder's blldozers had scraped off the topsoil.

October 29, 2003
My Lamb's Ear never returned, although my similar looking Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria) did return. So this beautiful plant is just not suitable for my hot, humid and rainy Florida climate, especially in a year with almost 100 inches of rain.

I have found that hummingbirds love the flowers on this plant, which is very hardy. I transplanted a few early June and they survied in Wisconsin, (USDA Zone 4.)

I find this plant to have an unattractive flower. On the positive side, bees LOVE it! It tends to split in the middle and take on a "moldy" look if not clipped back. Can be EXTREMELY invasive.

It's fuzzy, it's green, it's short enough for a border. It's hard to kill, and great to touch. Why not try it? I am moving many of these plants from my back yard to the front, as a border to some taller perennials.

Grown primarily for its soft white, woolly foliage; leafy flower spikes with lilac blossoms may be removed for better appearance. Self-seeds freely. Should be divided every few years to rejuvenate the plant.