Lamb’s Ears An old cottage-garden favourite, Stachys byzantina is an evergreen perennial with a vigorous, weed-suppressing, mat-forming habit. The elliptical leaves are silvery-grey, soft and almost woolly, giving the plant its common name of lamb’s ears, and form a spreading basal clump. In June and July, soft, woolly stems, 20”/50cm tall, rise above the clump, with tiny purple-pink flowers in whorls around the stem; the flowers are attractive to bees. Lamb’s ears is a very useful and attractive, drought-tolerant, foliage plant; remove any mildewed or worn leaves at the end of winter to let the new leaves shine. Site: Tolerates exposureSoil: Any light, well-drained soilPosition: Full sunSeason of interest: All year, midsummer in particularHardiness: Very hardyHeight: 20” (50cm) Spread: over 2’ (60cm) Photos by Carl Lewis, cropped, and licensed under CC BY 2.0.