Favorite Perennials: Lambs' Ear

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

11 Apr 2008 11:20 AM

Whether you have a mild climate or a cold climate, the following perennial plants will do well for you, no matter what your region. Be sure to take a look at these plants the next time you are visiting your local nursery, garden center or home improvement store.

Just the name "Lambs' Ear (or Lamb's Ear as it is also named) sounds so wonderful, doesn't it? This plant features lovely silver leaves. And while it does flower, the leaves are enough of an addition to your garden, and the plant is usually grown for the color and texture of the leaves alone, which are silver (as mentioned above) and velvety. When the plant flowers, it produces light purple flowers on tall spikes that reach 12 to 18 inches high. The leaves themselves stay close to the ground.

Lambs' Ear is a plant that absolutely thrives in conditions with low water, making it ideal for dry climate and areas with garden-water rationing. It will gorw in poor soil, as long as the soil is well drained. Lambs' Ear is a pretty hardy plant, and it will do well in planting zones 4 to 9, although zones 4 to 7 are ideal conditions.

If you tend to have mild winters in your area, then your Lambs' Ear plants will keep their leaves all year long. For harsher winters, expect the plants to lose their leaves and grow them once again in the spring. Two things to know about growing Lambs' Ear: one, like other velvet-leafed plants, such as the Violet, you should avoid watering the plats from above, as this could cause the leaves to rot and two, the plants don't like to be crowded because crowding will reduce air circulation, another way that the leaves will rot.

Place Lamb's Ear among a rock garden. They will do well near rocks and will play off the landscape. The are also resistant to deer, who don't seem to like to eat them for lunch (or any other meal).

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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