Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) is a popular perennial groundcover cherished for its soft, silvery-gray foliage. The dense, velvety leaves offer striking textural contrast in any garden bed or border. While resilient and low-maintenance, the plant benefits significantly from regular cutting back to maintain its health and aesthetic appeal. Pruning helps prevent the dense mat of fuzzy leaves from trapping excessive moisture, which can lead to rot, especially in humid or poorly draining conditions. Consistent trimming encourages vigorous new growth, keeping the plant full and preventing the center from becoming woody and sparse.
Determining the Best Time to Prune
The timing for cutting back Lamb’s Ear focuses on two main periods. The most important window for general clean-up occurs in early spring, just as new growth emerges from the crown. This allows for the removal of tattered, brown, or damaged foliage accumulated over winter. Clearing this old material improves air circulation across the plant’s surface before the active growing season begins.
A second period happens in mid-summer, typically after the plant has finished flowering. This post-bloom maintenance is primarily directed at removing spent flower stalks, a process known as deadheading. These two seasonal windows offer the best opportunities for comprehensive health and shape management.
Managing Spent Flower Spikes
The tall, upright stalks that emerge in late spring or early summer are the plant’s flower spikes. Removing these spent spikes, or deadheading, prevents the plant from expending energy on seed production. This redirects energy back into creating a denser mat of the desirable silvery foliage. Deadheading also improves the overall appearance, as the stalks become unsightly and brown after the flowers fade.
Use sharp, clean tools like small hand pruners or robust scissors. Follow the flower stalk down to the base where it emerges from the main rosette of leaves. Make a clean cut as close to the ground or the foliage mat as possible, ensuring no stub is left behind. This precise removal prevents self-seeding, which can lead to unwanted spread and overcrowding.
Rejuvenation Pruning of Foliage
When to Perform Rejuvenation
The primary cutting back of the fuzzy foliage is reserved for when the plant displays signs of decline, such as a large, dead patch in the center or extensive leaf damage. This intensive rejuvenation pruning is necessary every few years to stimulate a fresh flush of growth and prevent the plant from becoming leggy or woody. The most severe cutback should be performed in early spring, just before the first signs of new growth appear.
Technique for Severe Cutback
For large, established patches, tools like hedge shears or a string trimmer can be used to shear the entire area back. The goal is to cut the entire mat of foliage down to within two to four inches of the ground, leaving only the central crown intact. This action removes all the old, dense material and forces the plant to allocate resources toward developing new, healthy leaves.
Debris Removal
After performing a severe cutback, rake and remove all the cut foliage and plant debris from the area. Leaving this material, particularly the fuzzy leaves, on the soil surface traps moisture against the plant crowns. This moisture retention creates an environment for fungal diseases and rot, which is common for Lamb’s Ear, especially in humid climates. Clearing the debris increases light penetration and air circulation to the crown, ensuring a swift recovery.