Wooly Betony Stachys byzantina
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Stachys Lanata
- Stachys Olympica
- Phonetic Spelling
- STAH-kees biz-an-TEE-nah
- Description
-
Lamb's ear is an herbaceous perennial ground cover in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Hailing from the Middle East, it features thick, soft, velvety, silver-gray leaves that form a rapidly spreading groundcover.
They are evergreen in warmer climates. In summer, tiny, purplish-pink flowers appear that are best removed to enhance the foliage. The leaves emit a pleasant scent when crushed and the plant is deer resistant and moderately drought tolerant.
Lamb's ear grows well in average, dry to medium, very well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. Avoid overwatering as wet leaves invite disease, as does high humidity summers. It spreads by stems rooting at the nodes and can be aggressive in good conditions.
The soft, fuzzy leaves make an excellent addition to a children's or sensory garden. Plant it along a border front or walkway or it can also be grown in containers.
Insects, Disease, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to leaf rot with high humidity or excessive rain.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Asian Garden- Zen Garden Backyard Planting Flowers Galore Sea of Daylilies Asian Garden- Zen Garden Patio Garden Backyard Planting
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Big Ears'
- 'Helene von Stein' (synonymous with 'Big Ears')
Foliage tolerates summer heat better, rarely flowers
- 'Big Ears'
- 'Big Ears', 'Helene von Stein' (synonymous with 'Big Ears')
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Big Ears'
- 'Helene von Stein' (synonymous with 'Big Ears')
Foliage tolerates summer heat better, rarely flowers
- 'Big Ears'
- 'Big Ears', 'Helene von Stein' (synonymous with 'Big Ears')
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Stachys
- Species:
- byzantina
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Krym, Northern Turkey to Northern Iran
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts butterflies
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Fragrance
- Textural
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- deer and drought resistant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Herb
- Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Horizontal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- 2-3 rays/petals
- Bracts
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Blooms May to July. Inflorescence is terminal dense spikeform arrangement of verticillasters. Flowers sessile, subtended by reduced leaves(foliaceous bracts). Corolla purple with some mottling internally, bilabiate. Corolla tube is less than a .5 inch long, pubescent externally. Upper lip single, shallowly 3-lobed to entire at apex, .2 inches long, less than half an inch broad. Lower lip 3-lobed. Two lateral lobes shallow, much smaller than central lobe.
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-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Velvety
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Sinuate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Dense and wooly 4-6 inch long and 2-2.5 inches wide lance-shaped leaves. Leaves are opposite, decussate, with to 3.5 inches long stems on lower leaves and nearly stemless above. Leaves acute, tapering to base, crenate margins slightly sinuous.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- To 20 inches tall, multiple from base, erect to ascending, herbaceous, branching, 4-angled. Entire plant covered with very dense grey lanate pubescence.
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Garden for the Blind
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Pollution
- Poor Soil
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Weedy
