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Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'

Stachys byzantina 'Big Ears' · Lamiaceae

A lamb's ear with leaves twice the usual size, soft and silver-grey, that seldom flowers. It stays tidier and resists rot better than the common kind.

Size
12 in tall, 24 in wide
Zones
4 to 8
Light
Full sun
Flowers
Grown for its leaves
Pets
No toxicity recorded
Job in a bed
Carpet

A bed built around lamb's ear 'Big Ears'

The planner designed this bed around lamb's ear 'Big Ears' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why lamb's ear 'Big Ears' stands where it does.

A 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) bed at eye level in late June: Lamb's ear 'Big Ears', Cottage pinks, Brown-eyed Susan, Purple milkweed, Leadplant, Calamint 'Montrose White', Star of Persia, Daffodil.
A 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun, seen from the path in late June.
3. Brown-eyed Susan33. Brown-eyed Susan33. Brown-eyed Susan34. Purple milkweed44. Purple milkweed44. Purple milkweed44. Purple milkweed44. Purple milkweed45. Leadplant51. Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'11. Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'11. Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'11. Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'11. Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'12. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks21. Lamb's ear 'Big Ears'17. Star of Persia77. Star of Persia76. Calamint 'Montrose White'66. Calamint 'Montrose White'66. Calamint 'Montrose White'62. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks22. Cottage pinks28. Daffodil8. Daffodil8. Daffodil
From above, to scale. Each circle is one plant, as wide as the room it needs.

The plants

  1. 1 Lamb's ear 'Big Ears' × 6, silver leaves
  2. 2 Cottage pinks × 11, pink
  3. 3 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
  4. 4 Purple milkweed × 5, purple
  5. 5 Leadplant × 1, purple
  6. 6 Calamint 'Montrose White' × 3, white
  7. 7 Star of Persia × 2, purple
  8. 8 Daffodil × 3, orange

Why this plant

  • The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.

Why here

  • On the front edge. At 12 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 75% of the edge.
  • 6 plants in 2 runs (5 and 1). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
  • Bold leaf against fine. Calamint 'Montrose White' is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.

Why now

  • Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 13 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
  • One of two evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.

Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Calamint 'Montrose White' flowers longest, for 17 weeks. Cottage pinks is planted in three places along the bed, which gives it rhythm.

The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 5 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.

Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.

Where lamb's ear 'Big Ears' goes in a border

At 12 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).

Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.

Because it rarely sends up flower stems, the silver carpet stays neat all summer. The large felted leaves are the boldest silver for the front of a dry bed.

  • Silver edging and groundcover
  • Soft leaves for children to touch
  • Contrast with dark and fine foliage

What to plant with lamb's ear 'Big Ears'

Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:

  • English lavender 'Hidcote': adds the flowers, late June to late July; fine leaves against its bold ones; spires rising out of its mound.
  • Sedum 'Autumn Joy': adds the flowers, mid August to mid October; tall enough (24 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
  • Salvia 'May Night': adds the flowers, late May to mid July; medium leaves against its bold ones; spires rising out of its mound.

Questions about lamb's ear 'Big Ears'

Does lamb's ear 'Big Ears' need sun or shade?

Lamb's ear 'Big Ears' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does lamb's ear 'Big Ears' grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

How far apart should lamb's ear 'Big Ears' be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many lamb's ear 'Big Ears' plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

  • 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
  • 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
  • 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

In the bed above, the planner used six in two groups.

Is lamb's ear 'Big Ears' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like lamb's ear 'Big Ears'?

Lamb's ear 'Big Ears' comes from Krym, Northern Turkey to Northern Iran. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat lamb's ear 'Big Ears'?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will lamb's ear 'Big Ears' spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads steadily by creeping stems. It is easy to pull out, but needs a firm edge.

What does lamb's ear 'Big Ears' look like in winter?

Lamb's ear 'Big Ears' keeps its silver leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is lamb's ear 'Big Ears' good for bees and butterflies?

Lamb's ear 'Big Ears' is visited by butterflies.

More Stachys

In these guides

Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8

Every fact on record

Type
Perennial (groundcover)
Size
12 in (30 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
Plant
18 in (45 cm) apart
Height class
Low (6 to 12 in)
Place in the bed
Front
Flowers
None: grown for its foliage
Leaves
Bold texture, evergreen; silver
Shape
Mat-forming, spreading
Hardy in
USDA zones 4 to 8
Light
Full sun
Soil
Lean, dry and sharply drained
Water
Low
Feeding
None needed
Family
Lamiaceae
Comes from
Krym, Northern Turkey to Northern Iran
Attracts
Butterflies
Stands up to
Deer, rabbits, drought, poor soil, black walnut, pollution

Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.