Lamb's Ears
Stachys lanata
also called lamb’s ears
Woolly silver leaves grown for the foliage rather than the flower — undone by a wet winter far sooner than a cold one.
Light Full sun suits it best, though light shade is tolerated.
Water Needs little water once established; give it sparingly, and always at the base rather than over the leaves.
Height 40 cm
Spread 23.6 in
Spacing 60 cm
Spacing & sowing
- Plant spacing
- 23.6 in
- In-row spacing
- 23.6 in
- Between rows
- 2 ft 6 in
- Square-foot density
- Not suited to SFG
Growing
- Type
- Flower · Perennial
- Botanical family
- Mixed / other
- Sunlight
- Full sun suits it best, though light shade is tolerated.
- Watering
- Needs little water once established; give it sparingly, and always at the base rather than over the leaves.
- Feeding
- No feed required.
- Frost tolerant
- Yes
- Flowering
- June
- Pruning
- Pull off tatty leaves and finished flower spikes whenever they appear.
- Overwintering
- Semi-evergreen and hardy enough; it's the winter wet that kills it, not the cold.
Through the year
- Mar–Jun Spring Growth
- Jun–Aug Flowering
- Aug–Nov Growing
- Nov–Dec Leaf Fall
- Jan–Mar Leaf Fall
Pests & problems
- Root & crown rot Crown rot in wet winter soils, and worse on heavy clay
- Leaf rot through a long wet spell
- Bare patches opening up in the center of old clumps
The Cottage Garden Companion — the gardener's herbarium at cottagegardencompanion.com