Lamb’s Ear

Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina, still sold as Stachys lanata) is grown for the leaves, not the flowers. Thick silver foliage covered in fine white felt spreads into a soft mat about 60cm across and 40cm tall in flower. The texture is the point: it cools hot colour schemes and lights up at dusk. It is drought tolerant, frost hardy and not toxic to cats or dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Silver foliage that carries a bed. The felted grey leaves hold their colour all year and do the work flowers normally have to.
• It thrives on dry, poor ground. A genuine answer for hot gravelly strips where nothing else will sit still.
• Children and pets can handle it. The leaves are famously tactile and the plant is not toxic to cats or dogs.
• Bees work the flower spikes. Purple spikes rise to about 40cm in early summer and bring in bees and butterflies.
• Frost hardy and low maintenance. Cold southern and inland gardens suit it, and the annual job is one tidy up.

Where it works best

Groundcover. Plant 40cm apart for a spreading mat. At roughly six plants per square metre the foliage closes over in a single season and suppresses most weeds without mulch.

Borders and edging. A single row at 40cm centres gives a soft silver line along a path, and it looks best spilling over stone or gravel.

Rockeries and hot dry beds. Sharp drainage and reflected heat are conditions it actively prefers.

Growing Lamb's Ear in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open air movement. This is a plant for warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens. Be honest about humidity: in subtropical and tropical gardens the felted leaves hold moisture and rot through a wet summer.

Soil. Free draining above all else. Sandy, gravelly and stony ground suits it perfectly. On clay, plant on a raised mound, because wet feet in winter is the usual cause of death.

Water and feed. Water at the base, never over the leaves, since water sitting in the felt causes marking and rot. Weekly through the first summer, then rarely. Skip the fertiliser: rich soil produces soft growth that collapses.

Tidying. Cut flower spikes off at the base once they brown, or remove the buds early if you only want foliage. Divide every three or four years when the middle opens up.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in two sizes: tubes and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are young plants with a rosette of a few leaves, and they fill out fast once in the ground, which makes them the value choice for a large area. The 140mm plants arrive as established rosettes, and ten at 40cm spacing cover close to one and a half square metres.

Soft felted leaves mark easily in transit, so expect a few creased outer leaves in the box. Remove them and the plant looks right within a fortnight. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plant into well drained ground, water in once, then leave it alone. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing the right groundcover plant
• Browse the full groundcover range
• Compare drought tolerant plants
• Plants that are safe around cats and dogs

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

Six, at 40cm spacing. A pack of ten covers roughly one and a half square metres, a practical unit for costing an edging run before you order.

Will it grow in a humid climate?

Not reliably. The felted leaves trap moisture, and in subtropical and tropical summers the clump rots from the centre. It is at its best in temperate, Mediterranean and dry inland gardens.

Should I let it flower?

That depends what you want. The purple spikes reach about 40cm and bring bees in, but they break the low silver line. Many gardeners remove most buds.