Leaf
Mathieu Menand, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lamb's ears
Stachys byzantina K.Koch
Also known as: Lamb's tongue, Woolly hedgenettle
Family: Lamiaceae
20 to 40 cm tall
Borders, rock gardens, dry gardens, well-drained soils
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its thick foliage, as soft as fur and much loved by children to touch, earns it the nickname "bear's ear" in French.
🍃 Leaves
Thick, ovate, entirely covered in a dense, very soft silvery-white down
🌸 Flowers
Small spikes of pink-mauve flowers, almost hidden by the down
🍎 Fruits
Small dry achenes
🪵 Bark
Low, mat-forming clump
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Turkey and the Caucasus; widely grown in gardens in France, little or not naturalised.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Mauve spikes visited by bees in summer, woolly foliage mainly valued for its decorative appeal.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Borders, dry beds, gravel gardens; silvery, woolly foliage much loved for its feel.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
🌿 Other Lamiaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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