Lamb's Ear
Stachys byzantina
Lamb's Ear blooms from June through July.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Lamb's Ear
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 1.3 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Lamb's Ear
Plant Lamb's Ear in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Good to know about Lamb's Ear
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The European wool carder bee scrapes the fuzzy leaf hairs to line its nest cells, so lamb's ear is a preferred nesting-material source, not just a nectar stop. per Florida and Arthropod-Plant Interactions
Zone 8 or zone 9?
Some sources rate it hardy to zone 9, but in zone 9 humid heat the woolly foliage rots and melts out, so zone 8 is the honest ceiling. per Illinois and Missouri Botanical Garden
Melt-out: its main weakness
In hot, humid, wet or crowded conditions the woolly hairs trap moisture and the leaves rot into slimy mush. The fix: full sun, sharp drainage, wide spacing. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits leave it alone: the fuzzy, woolly leaf surface is unpalatable to browsers. Clemson lists it among textured, deer-deterring plants. per Clemson
Keep it lean; skip fertilizer
Give it lean, sharply drained soil and do not fertilize. Rich soil reduces vigor and encourages rot rather than helping, and holds moisture the plant cannot shed. per NC State
Safe to touch
No toxicity is reported. NC State recommends it for children's and sensory gardens: the soft, safe-to-touch leaves are the whole point, and RHS lists no warning. per NC State and RHS
What pairs well with Lamb's Ear
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; yellow against purple, for contrast.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 4 in, for the front of the border.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 7 to 8.
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