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Lambs Ear
Stachys byzantina
- Common Name: Lamb’s Ear (other common names: Rabbit’s Ear, Donkeys Ear, Stachys Species, Wooly Betony)
- Scientific Name: Stachys byzantina
- Family Name: Lamiaceae
- Origin: Middle East - Turkey, Armenia, Iran
- Height: 6” – 18”
- Width: 12” – 24”
- Growth: moderate to fast growing (spread both by self-seeding and through creeping stems that root)
- Zone: 4A – 10B
- Light Needs: Full sun to Partial shade in the afternoons but too much shade can promote disease.
- Salt Tolerance: Low
- Soil/PH/Texture: tolerates shallow rocky soil, loam, clay, sandy soils, dry soil and poor soil, mildly acidic to mildly alkaline (pH 6.1 – 7.8).
- Soil Moisture: dry – medium, Water only when the soil is significantly dry, regularly but do not over water. The fuzzy leaves tend to trap moisture so in humid climates leaves can be susceptible to rot and leaf spot.
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Pests/Diseases: deer and rabbit resistant
- Growing Conditions: low maintenance and easy to grow but spreads aggressively.
- Characteristics: grown for its beautiful bronze – silver/gray foliage that is velvety soft as a rabbit, lamb or donkeys’ ear, these evergreen succulents leave also have a pleasant smell when crushed. Its blooms of pink/white to lavender are inconspicuous and appear in late spring to early summer.
- Propagation: by dividing the root ball or from seed
- Wildlife: attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies
- Facts: the leaves can be used in helping painful bee stings and as a “band-aid” of sorts for healing wounds.
- Designer Considerations: makes a great groundcover in garden beds or rock beds, use in mass plantings or as a border, nice in containers 3 gallons or larger with excellent drainage, and it is suitable for xeriscaping.
Lambs Ear
Location
Butterfly Garden