Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) is a popular choice for adding unique texture and soft, silvery hue to the landscape. This low-growing perennial is recognized for its thick, velvety leaves, which form a dense, mat-like groundcover. The distinctive foliage provides year-round interest and contrast in garden beds, making it a favorite for edging and sensory gardens. Acquiring this drought-tolerant species involves navigating several purchasing options, each offering different advantages in terms of cost, maturity, and variety.
Available Forms for Acquisition
The physical form in which Lamb’s Ear is purchased significantly affects the cost and the time required for establishment. Buying seeds is the least expensive option, but it comes with challenges, as Lamb’s Ear seeds often have low germination rates, typically falling in the 50-60% range. Furthermore, many sought-after cultivars, such as ‘Helene Von Stein’ and ‘Silver Carpet,’ are sterile hybrids that must be asexually propagated. Seeds that are available, such as the cultivar ‘Silky Fleece,’ require light to germinate and may take up to three weeks before seedlings emerge.
Container plants, typically found in 4-inch or quart to one-gallon pots, offer an immediate visual impact and a quicker start to establishing the groundcover. This method is generally more expensive than purchasing seeds or bare root material, but the plants are already rooted and actively growing, providing a head start. These potted specimens are often the sterile, non-flowering cultivars that gardeners prefer for a dense foliage display.
An intermediate option is to purchase bare root divisions, which are commonly shipped through mail-order vendors. Bare root plants are less expensive than potted versions because they are lighter and require less packaging, reducing shipping costs. While they require careful handling and a brief soaking before planting, their well-developed root systems allow them to establish quickly.
Retail and Online Purchasing Locations
The location of purchase often dictates the available forms and specific cultivars of Lamb’s Ear. Local nurseries and independent garden centers typically offer the highest quality plants. These businesses are the most likely source for specialized, asexually propagated cultivars like ‘Helene Von Stein’ or ‘Big Ears,’ which are prized for their larger leaves and non-flowering habit. Inventory is highest during the peak planting season of spring and early summer.
Mass-market retailers and big-box home improvement stores also carry Lamb’s Ear, primarily during the spring and early summer months. These locations offer convenience and a lower initial price point, usually stocking the common species variety in quart or gallon containers. While readily available, the selection of specific, sterile cultivars may be limited compared to specialized nurseries.
For access to regional or unique varieties, online specialty vendors and mail-order companies are the primary resource. These vendors frequently ship plants as bare root divisions or small plugs, which travel efficiently and are cost-effective for covering large areas. Customers should check the vendor’s shipping policies and regional restrictions. The ordering window for these online shipments typically begins in late winter, with plants arriving in early spring for optimal planting.
Low-Cost Methods of Acquisition
Acquiring Lamb’s Ear without a retail purchase often involves vegetative propagation. The easiest and most reliable low-cost technique is division, which is recommended every two to three years to maintain plant vigor and prevent the center of the clump from dying out. This involves digging up a mature plant, gently separating the root ball into smaller sections, ensuring each piece has both roots and leaves, and then replanting the new starts.
Small stem sections and leaves can also be used to obtain new plants, offering another easy way to generate quantity. Three to four-inch stem cuttings, taken in the spring or early summer, can be rooted directly in moist, well-draining soil. While less successful than division, this method allows for the creation of new plants from a small amount of shared material.
Another avenue for free starts is through community garden swaps, local garden clubs, or online plant trade groups. Gardeners who already have established Lamb’s Ear are often happy to share divisions or cuttings. These community-focused exchanges allow individuals to acquire established, locally-acclimated plants without any financial investment.