Lamb's ear

Lamb's ear: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, creeping mat 15 cm tall and 30–60 cm wide; flower stems up to 30–45 cm.

Leaves

Thick, oblong, 5–10 cm, densely covered in silvery-white, woolly hairs.

Flower

Small, lipped flowers in whorls along felted spikes, from June to August.

Colour

Purple-pink flowers among silver-grey bracts.

Roots

Creeping stems that root where they touch the ground; this is how the mat spreads.

Flowering: June–August · Plants: March–May and September · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• Soft, silvery-white foliage that looks good all season and makes other colours glow.
• A tough ground cover for sunny, dry spots.
• Bees visit the flowers, and the wool carder bee uses the leaf hairs for its nest.
• Drought-tolerant: in a sunny border or gravel garden it needs hardly any water.
• A lovely plant for children to touch in the garden.

Lamb's ear: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade the leaves turn greener and rot more easily.
• Poor, free-draining sandy or loamy soil; acid, neutral or chalky.
• Dry: wet soil and standing water make the leaves rot.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, at the front of the border, along a path or between stones.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Silver beside purple, both for sun and dry soil.
• Catmint: A blue haze above the silver mat, loved by bees.
• Bearded iris: Stiff, sword-shaped leaves beside the soft carpet.
• Sedum: Grey-green leaves and pink flower heads in late summer, in the same dry sun.

Lamb's ear: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September.

1. Plant from March to May or in September, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Loosen the soil; in heavy soil mix in coarse sand or gravel. No compost needed.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, so the leaves do not lie on the soil.
4. Leave 30–40 cm between plants.
5. Water once, thoroughly, at the base and spread a thin layer of gravel around the plant if you like.

Care

Watering

Only after planting and during long dry spells. Water at the base, not over the woolly leaves.

Feeding

Not needed. In rich soil it grows soft and rots more easily.

Tidying

Remove rotting and brown leaves, especially after a wet winter or a rainy summer.

Flower stems

Leave them for the bees, or cut them off if you prefer a neat, silver carpet of leaves.

Rejuvenating

Every 3–4 years, divide when the mat goes bare in the middle.

Tip: In spring and after wet spells, remove the rotting leaves, and leave the flower stems as long as bees are visiting them: the wool carder bee uses the hairs for its nest.

Lamb's ear: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and August.

When: Lamb’s ear is not really pruned. In March, remove dead and rotting leaves; after flowering, in August, cut off the flower stems.

How:

• In March, cut or pull off all dead, brown and rotting leaves.
• In August, cut faded stems back to the leaves.
• After a wet spell, remove rotting parts straight away to keep the rest healthy.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September, lift the mat and take young, rooted pieces from the edge. Throw away the bare centre.

Rooted runners

Creeping stems that have already rooted can be cut off and replanted elsewhere straight away.

Lamb's ear: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: frost is no problem in Belgium.
• Wet winters are a nuisance, though: the leaves rot under snow, rain or fallen leaves. Clear those leaves off the mat.
• In a pot: make sure there is a good drainage hole and keep it out of the rain in winter.

Diseases and pests

• Rotting leaves: Brown, mushy leaves after a wet winter or summer. Cut them off and give the plant a free-draining, sunny spot.
• Powdery mildew: A grey mould on the leaves in warm, humid late summers. Cut off affected leaves and give the plant space.
• Bare patches: After a few years the mat goes bare in the middle. Divide the plant and replant the young outer pieces.
• Flopping flower stems: After heavy rain the stems fall over the leaves. Cut them off or give the plant an open spot in full sun.

Through the year

• March: Remove dead and rotting leaves. Plant or divide.
• April: Planting.
• May: Planting. The flower stems appear.
• June: Flowering begins. Bees and wool carder bees on the plant.
• July: Full flower.
• August: End of flowering. Cut off the flower stems.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Remove rotting leaves.
• November: Clear fallen leaves off the mat.
• December: Rest.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The female wool carder bee scrapes the hairs off the leaves to line her nest cells; the male defends the plants against other insects.
• The dense hairs reflect sunlight and reduce water loss, which helps the plant survive on dry, sunny slopes.
• The cultivar ‘Silver Carpet’ hardly ever flowers and so stays a low, even mat of leaves.