Species lamb's ears
purple flowers with light-gray foliage

lamb's ears

Stachys byzantina 'Striped Phantom'

Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina 'Striped Phantom') is an attractive perennial with furry grey-green leaves for texture and interest throughout the year. It grows to a height of up to 12", and has rosy-lavender flowering spikes in early spring. The leaves of this species have white stripes running down the middle, adding to its unique look. It is perfect for borders, rock gardens, or containers. Easy to care for, this plant is drought and heat tolerant and does best in full sun with well-drained soil. Once it is established, it does not require a lot of care.

Cycle:

Herbaceous Perennial

Watering:

Minimum

Propagation:

Division,Cutting,Layering Propagation,Seed Propagation,Offsets

Hardiness Zone:

4 - 9

Flowers:

Purple Flowers

Sun:

Full sun

Leaf:

Yes

Growth Rate:

Low

Maintenance:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Care Level:

Low

watering

Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina 'Striped Phantom') are drought-tolerant, so they don't require a lot of water. Water the plants deeply, about once per week, ensuring the soil has time to dry out between waterings. During hot summer months, the plant may need to be watered more frequently. Finally, if the plants get too dry, a deep soaking may be necessary.

sunlight

Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina 'Striped Phantom') do best with full sun, or at least 6-7 hours of direct light per day. Lamb's ears should have their sun exposure in the morning to midday, when the sun is not at its strongest, as they can potentially suffer from sunburn or other sun-related damage with too much hot, afternoon sunshine. If your lamb's ears become a bit stretched out looking, it may indicate that it is not getting enough sunlight and this plant may benefit from more direct sun.

pruning

Pruning for Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina 'Striped Phantom') is best done in early spring before new growth begins. Remove any dead or damaged stems and thin out dense clusters of foliage to promote air circulation. Pruning the plant can also help to keep it under control and encourage a fuller, denser growth habit. If more aggressive pruning is required, cutting stems back by 1-third or even up to 2-thirds of their height can help to promote new growth and keep the plant looking its best. It is important to avoid pruning more than 1-third of the stems at once as this could damage the plant.

Season

Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering

Lamb's ears typically start flowering in late spring, usually in May or June.

Starts Flowering

Lamb's ears typically start flowering in late spring, usually in May or June.

Hardiness Map