By Grace Broyles
Silvery and fuzzy and soft as the woolly ear of a lamb is this plant called “Lamb’s Ear,” and it grows quite well here in West Central Texas. But it doesn’t hail from here. It is native to the Middle East where it is found growing on the rocky hills in Armenia, Iran and Turkey. It was imported from Turkey to North America in the mid-1700s, where it was found for sale in a catalog produced by John Bartram of Philadelphia.
The Latin name for Lamb’s ear is Stachys byzantina. Stachys is a Greek word, and comes from a word meaning “ear of corn.” The second name means “of classical Byzantine.” The plant is a member of the mint family and is also called Woolly Betony, Donkey’s Ears, or Wolly Woundwort. The leaves were used to treat wounds and stings in the past, offering natural antibiotic properties. Young leaves were also used in salads and steamed as a vegetable.
But for us today, these are not its main uses. We tend to look at plants for their aesthetic beauty in the landscapes we have. We like a variety of plants that add interest to our gardens, for both texture and color and usefulness. The Lamb’s Ear is definitely a good choice for both its texture and color, as well as its usefulness. The gray-green color of the leaves, which are about the size of a fist and oblong and pointed, and the dense fuzzy white hairs found on these leaves, offer a unique appearance in a garden area.
The leafy plant grows very low to the ground, about 12 to 18 inches tall, and from 12 to 36 inches wide, creating a lumpy rug-like appearance. This quality places it into the category of ground cover, allowing few weeds to grow, and the soil to stay cooler and retain some moisture.
Lamb’s Ears are a wonderful option for xeriscape landscapes, such as in rock gardens. They are evergreen and their leaves are frost-resistant. They spread quickly. And they enjoy full sun, but are happy to bask in some afternoon shade. The plants need well-drained soil to flourish (soil that stays wet causes Lamb’s Ear leaves to rot, or suffer from powdery mildew), but thrives in somewhat poor soil that is slightly acidic. Lamb’s Ears can also withstand periods of drought.
The Lamb’s Ear does produce pinkish-purple flowers in the summer that grow along a tall fuzzy stalk. But for a gardener keen on more of the silvery foliage, these stalks should be pinched off as they begin to form. Lamb’s Ears will develop some die-off of leaves. These should be snipped off through-out the year as needed to retain a healthy & clean garden area.
Flowers that are left to be pollinated will produce oblong nutlets. These seeds may be collected and planted shallowly in soil that is kept moist. After several weeks, the seeds should germinate and new plants will form. Lamb’s Ears will also propagate itself quite easily by rooting itself at the nodes along stems that come into contact with the soil. Cuttings about 4 to 6 inches long can also be taken, their bottom leaves removed, and placed in slightly moist soil in a tray. Roots will form over a period of a few weeks. Then the small plants may be placed in their desired location. Another way to propagate Lamb’s Ear is to split the plants in the spring or fall with a sharp knife or spade, making sure to preserve some roots on both parts. The cut off plant may then be planted immediately and snugly in moist well-draining soil and its roots watered in.
Lamb’s Ears are deer-resistant, a blessing for those who live in the country. They may be used to create a border in front of other plants that are of a contrasting color or texture, width and height. They may be grown in a children’s garden, for the children to touch and enjoy. They may also be grown on rocky hillsides for interest, for erosion control, and for good drainage.
Cultivars of Lamb’s Ears are available to use to create an interesting landscape, or to plant in a pot or even a raised bed:
- ‘Big Ears’
larger leaves - ‘Cotton Boll’
flowers resemble cotton balls along the stem, gray-green leaves - ‘Helene von Stein’ (synonymous with ‘Big Ears’)
Foliage tolerates summer heat better, rarely flowers - ‘Primrose Heron’
pink flowers, yellow leaves in spring - ‘Silky Fleece’
lilac-plum flowers, small, white, wooly leaves - ‘Silver Carpet’
rarely blooms - ‘Silver Queen’
- ‘Striped Phantom’
variegated leaves
The Big Country Master Gardener Association presents free education programs every month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Abilene Public Library South Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is presented again at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Abilene Public Library main branch in downtown Abilene. We also have a Master Gardener Saturday Seminar from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on the last Saturday of the month from February through August in the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room. The theme for the monthly BCMGA Library and Saturday Seminar presentations in 2025 is “The Year of the Garden.”
If you have any gardening questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on the BCMGA YouTube channel. We are here to help you.