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I love the look of Lambs Ear and this hardy perennial does real well in hot dry summers which we seem to be getting more of here in zone 6 as evidenced by 2007 and 2008 seasons which are attributed to global warming.
Besides having masses of velvety textured leaves that look and stay fresh and crisp all season this perennial will come back every spring bearing more and more than the season before.
I love the fact that this is a grand companion to roses and I had planted about 6 plants in a rose bed about seven or eight years ago and it is just the right touch with its tall center stem grows to about 12 to 18 inches that bears lovely lavender flowers that attract many hummingbirds to it. I also like the fact that the leaves of this plant stay close to the ground and even though it will spread itself quickly and fill in quickly over a season or two, I can dig up some and just plunk it down in the dirt somewhere else and in no time have a new bed of it.
For those of you who live in hot dry climates and have rock gardens then Lambs Ear is the plant for you because they will flourish there and give great color and style to borders.
This plant is very deer resistant and we have lots of deer wandering around our orchard, but nowhere in areas there is Lambs Ear.
Though I planted Lambs Ear plants that I purchased from my local gardening center one can sow seeds directly into the ground and see results.
Too much watering or even too much rain will cause the leaves of this plant to rot. Also thin out when they get too crowded as they do need good air circulation.
The Lambs Ear is a native of Southern Iran and Northern Turkey where it grows among the rocks and stones of those areas and is considered a weed. So be it, I like it and it does justice to any garden where one does not mind an invasive ground cover.
For us gardeners just know that they grow in zones 4 to 11 and can be used as an ornamental flower or even a dried flower.
An interesting fact is that Lambs Ear is a member of the mint family. Not spearmint or peppermint, but of huge family of mint that has about 200 genera and more than 3,000 species such as salvia, basil, thyme, rosemary and lavender.
“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…Peace, Light and Love,
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Many of her articles written for Greenthumbarticles have paintings she has created of the subject and they can be seen at her “How to Do It” site. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Many of her paintings are sold internationally and many of her works of art have been reproduced on note cards, post cards and other functional items and you can get Giclee prints of her artwork starting as low as $11.89 Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books, art, etc. go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my sites.”
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