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| I keep admiring this plant every time I open a High Country Gardens catalog (which is quite frequent, they seem to send me a new one every two weeks, lol!). Love the flowers/flower texture and overall look of it.
Does it get as scruffy/mildewy as S. byzantina? I took that plant out of my main gardens because it looked so bad after blooming. What are your thoughts on it in general? Thanks much
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 6a CT (My Page) on Wed, Mar 7, 12 at 16:59
| CMK - I haven't heard about that specific one but am really liking Countess Helen Von Stein, particularly because it doesn't bloom at all so it puts all its energy into silvery foliage. Since that's what I like best about lamb's ear, CHVS works for me. I Googled to see what differentiates S. lavandulilfolius from S. byzantina and see that High Country Gardens touts it as a xeric wildflower that thrives in tough conditions. It is very pretty in the website photo--I can see why you admire it in the catalog. One advantage of winter sowing is it keeps me away from those catalogs! |
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| I am also captivated by the photo of this plant in the bi-monthly HCG catalogue, LOL! Back in January I almost ordered it but then stopped myself since it appears to be happiest when grown under xeric western/ southwestern conditions. One of the few references online I was able to find of this plant was at Arrowhead Alpines in Michigan. They state how lovely it is yet how fussy it is to grow and overwinter in wetter conditions. |
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- Posted by christinmk z5b eastern WA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 7, 12 at 21:35
| -Eileen, that is good information about your CHVS Stachys. Does it spread fast? That was another problem I had with "regular" lamb's ears, I had to divide almost every other year or else they tended to get sparse in the centers... As a matter of fact, I DID look at the seed exchange sites to see if any member had seed to offer of S. lavandulifolius, to keep me from being tempted to order it! Lol ;-) -ispahan, it is pretty funny how HCG tries and make each catalog look different too, when in reality it is the same one with a new cover each time. Ha! I wonder if it reseeds well, like S. byzantina? Anyone know? |
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 6a CT (My Page) on Thu, Mar 8, 12 at 7:07
| Christin - I've only had CHVS a year but it isn't known for spreading at all from what I've read which was another feature I liked about it. Ask me again next year! CHVS has a mounded form 10-12" tall. Someone posted a photo of it used as an edging to a long, wide, curving bed and it was absolutely stunning. The poster stated it was virtually maintenance-free. My largest plant (I bought several on a half-off sale) has some dead foliage after the winter but I'm thinking it's still a bit early to do spring clean-up. |
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| I also have Helene von Stein (aka Big Ears) - it *never* mildews but it does look yucky over winter; easily remedied with a good spring trim-back, same as most perennials. Like the poster above, I also appreciate that it doesn't flower - because man are lamb's ears flowers U-G-L-Y!! I see the OP is in WA - perhaps not the best climate for S. byzantina, they like it hot and dry, although, of course, I know nothing of your particular microclimate... |
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- Posted by christinmk z5b eastern WA (My Page) on Fri, Mar 9, 12 at 21:56
| I've never had a problem with it not overwintering well (even though our late winters and spring can be quite wet). Then it always drys out quite a bit here come summer... I kind of have a love/hate relationship with lamb's ears. I don't have anything against the way they look (even kinda' like the flowers), just that they require a little too much attention to keep them looking good. Although I do appreciate the CHVS recommendation, in case I should ever want to give them a second chance I will try out that cultivar. I have actually found a replacement for lamb's ears that I LOVE. Salvia argentea. The leaves are silver and whooly, but much bigger. The flowers are only white with a tinge of purple, but I like the overal tumble-weed like look of it in flower. |
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