- Botanical name: Stachys byzantina 'Countess Helen Von Stein'
- Common name: Lambs' ears
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Plant Type: Perennial
Purple
Silver
- Key features:
- Attractive to wildlife
- Dramatic foliage
- Prefers rich soil
Lambs’ ears is a well-known ground-covering perennial, grown for its soft, woolly foliage. Plants are particularly attractive to the solitary wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum, which cards the fine hairs from the leaves to use as nesting material.
Also known as ‘Big Ears’, Stachys byzantina ‘Countess Helen von Stein’ has particularly large leaves, up to 25cm long. Its inconspicuous pink flowers appear in June and July, although they’re partially concealed by silvery stems and buds with a felty texture. Once established, Stachys byzantina ‘Countess Helen von Stein’ is reasonably drought-tolerant, making this a good choice for a dry sunny border or gravel garden. To propagate, divide plants as soon as growth starts in spring.
How to grow Stachys 'Countess Helen von Stein'
-
Plant size
45cm height
60cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Middle
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Divide | ||||||||||||
| Divide |
J
Do not Divide in January |
F
Do not Divide in February |
M
Do Divide in March |
A
Do Divide in April |
M
Do not Divide in May |
J
Do not Divide in June |
J
Do not Divide in July |
A
Do not Divide in August |
S
Do not Divide in September |
O
Do not Divide in October |
N
Do not Divide in November |
D
Do not Divide in December |
| Prune | ||||||||||||
| Prune |
J
Do not Prune in January |
F
Do not Prune in February |
M
Do not Prune in March |
A
Do not Prune in April |
M
Do not Prune in May |
J
Do not Prune in June |
J
Do not Prune in July |
A
Do not Prune in August |
S
Do Prune in September |
O
Do Prune in October |
N
Do Prune in November |
D
Do not Prune in December |
Stachys 'Countess Helen von Stein' and wildlife
Stachys 'Countess Helen Von Stein' is known for attracting bees, butterflies/moths and other pollinators. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers.
Attractive to Bees
Does not attract Beneficial insects
Does not attract Birds
Attractive to Butterflies/Moths
Attractive to Other pollinators
Is Stachys 'Countess Helen von Stein' poisonous?
Stachys 'Countess Helen Von Stein' has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
