Plant Library

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Description:

This dwarf variety forms a dense low carpet of soft and fuzzy silver-green leaves bearing upright spikes of lavender flowers in early summer; clip spent blooms to tidy up for rest of season; drought tolerant once established; evergreen in mild areas

Ornamental Features

Silky Fleece Lamb's Ears's attractive small tomentose oval leaves emerge silver in spring, turning grayish green in color the rest of the year on a plant with a spreading habit of growth. It has masses of beautiful spikes of lavender flowers rising above the foliage in early summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings.

Landscape Attributes

Silky Fleece Lamb's Ears is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Silky Fleece Lamb's Ears is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Silky Fleece Lamb's Ears will grow to be only 3 inches tall at maturity extending to 10 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Silky Fleece Lamb's Ears is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.