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Lamb's ear
Habit (mature) · Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Lamb's ear
Stachys byzantina
A mat-forming herbaceous perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to the rocky hills of Turkey, the Caucasus, and Iran. NC State Extension describes it as grown chiefly for its thick, soft, silvery-green leaves that are densely white-woolly and velvety to the touch, 4-6 inches long, borne in low basal rosettes about a foot tall and a foot or so wide. In summer it sends up terminal spikes of tiny purplish-pink two-lipped flowers, though the bloom stalks are often sheared off to keep the foliage compact. Deer-resistant and moderately drought-tolerant once established, it wants full sun and very well-drained soil and resents wet leaves and humid, soggy ground.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (52/100)
Border
Filler
Container
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Low water
Mature size
12-18" tall · 12" apart
Hardy in zones
4a-9b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Warm
cool to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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It wants full sun to partial shade and average, dry to medium, very well-drained soil; it is deer-resistant and moderately drought-tolerant once established but resents wet leaves and soggy ground (NC State Extension).
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/lambs-ear
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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