Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) is a ground cover grown for its thick, fuzzy, silvery foliage that creates a softly textured mat in the garden. Lamb's ear is an easy, fast spreader, does best in full sun in most areas, and thrives in somewhat poor, slightly acidic soil.

How to Grow and Care for Lamb's Ear. Lamb's ear is a low-growing, spreading perennial with velvety, pale, silvery gray-green foliage. The growth rate is medium but steady. Because of their suede-like texture, lamb's ears are favored for their foliage rather than their flowers.

Stachys byzantina, known as lamb's ears, is grown primarily for its thick, soft, velvety, silver-gray leaves which typically form a rapidly spreading mat approximately 4-6" off the ground. Leaves are evergreen in warm climates, but will depreciate considerably in harsh winters.

With fuzzy silver-green leaves, a clump of perennial Lamb's Ear looks like a velvet cloak thrown over a garden bed. Give it full sun and well-drained soil.

Perfect for rock gardens or a dry spot of average soil in a garden bed, lamb's ears are easy plants to grow. The leaves quickly form a soft mat of rosettes. They were also once used as bandages and are reportedly helpful in relieving the pain of bee stings.