Illustration
Lamb's Ear
Stachys byzantina
Lamb's Ear blooms from June through July.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
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 16 in tall and 24 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, 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, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
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. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, 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; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Lamb's Ear get?
16 intall5 ft 7 inan adult24 inwideSee Lamb's Ear in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Lamb's Ear
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Lamb's Ear about 24 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Lamb's Ear to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Lamb's Ear's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 11 published sources on July 31, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Walters Gardens / Perennial Resource (perennials.com)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- depts.ttu.eduTexas Tech University Plant Resources, Herbaceous Plant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Proven WinnersStachys byzantina 'Little Lamb'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- waterwisegardenplanner.orgWaterwise Garden Plannerheight, spread, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- martinnursery.comMartin Garden Centerheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionStachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureStachys byzantina 'Big Ears'height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureStachys byzantina 'Cotton Boll'height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenPlant Finderhardiness zones and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Lamb's Ear
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
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.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Autumn Joy Sedum
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
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 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
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 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lilac
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; stands well above at 10 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
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