Nov 13 2008
Lamb’s Ears
Lamb’s Ears are another favorite plant of mine. This will establish itself the first year from good transplants. It prefers a sunny location, and being on the dry side is better than too wet.
The plant gets its name from the unbelievably soft and velvety leaf texture. The little hairs really are like fur.
Bees love this. The flowers are on a long spike, and they bloom over an extended period in the summer. The plants have an ethereal quality in the garden. They look misty and soft, with no bright colors or sharp contrast. Lamb’s Ears grow about 18 inches tall, but the stems tend to tip sideways and fall onto the ground and root. This spreading goes on all season long, and you will have to contain this plant or it may get out of bounds.
After the bees finish pollinating all the flowers, the autumn flower spikes are filled with seeds. I usually trim away the dead flowers, because I have plenty of Lamb’s Ears, but you could plant the seeds if you wanted to.
I didn’t realize milk worked on mildew….I’ll have to remember that, thanks!