Stachys Plant Trial: Which Ones Were Best?

Betonies and lambs’ ears are low-care, pest-proof, and worthy of a second look

In a cosmos where I could only have 10 plants in my garden — clutch your bone , right?—lambs ’ ears ( Stachys byzantinaand cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) would most assuredly be one of them . I have been a fan of the cultivar ‘ fully grown pinna ’ for what seems like forever , and I have grow it in my own garden for almost as long . I like the playfulness of the fuzzy leaves — so much like a lamb ’s cuddly ears . Their silverish complexion complements colorfulperennials , and the sheer foliage is sublimewith fine - textured grasses . At some point , lamb ’ auricle went from a knickknack to a garden standard in my eye , but my appreciation of its soft wooliness has never wavered . The rambling habit makes lambs ’ ears a serious land screening , but I think this flora isbest — as a only plant or massed — spilling onto a walk or terrace , where the velvety leaves blur the hard boundary .

My awareness of betonies ( S. officinalisand cvs . , andS. macranthaand cvs . ) educate promptly after my first sighting of wood betony in an exceptional local garden . Spikes of glowing majestic flowers rose above lush verdant mounds as an ecphonesis peak in that blousy English - style border . It strike me as anuncommon base - in for the verticalness of bromide perennial such as veronica ( Veronicaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) and woodland salvia ( Salvia nemorosaand cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) . I spend the rest period of that summer accumulate a trial to learn more about the diversity ofStachysand to let on why betonies were n’t more useable .

Trial Parameters

Since 1998 , the Chicago Botanic Garden has evaluated 29 different lamb ’ ears and betonies in our comparative test .

How long : Minimum four year

Zone:5b

term : Full sun ; well - drained , alkaline , clay - loam filth

Care : We provided minimum attention , allowing the plants to thrive or conk out under natural conditions . Besides note decorative trait , we supervise the plants to see how well they turn and adapted to environmental and soil conditions . We also kept a close oculus on any disease or pestis problems and assessed plant injuries or losses over winter .

The pallid silvery immature leaves of‘Big Ears’(S. byzantina‘Big Ears ’ ) are orotund than those of other lambs ’ spike , and this plant rarely flowers ; despite it ’s being vaunt as nonflowering , we saw a base or two each twelvemonth . A want of flowers may not seem like a plus , but in the casing of dear ’ ears , it can be . The fuzzy calyx hide the small-scale purple flowers , so the show is more about the grain of the floral prow . The downside is that bloom tomfool energy , which causes a decline in industrial plant health and a tatty visual aspect later in the season . ‘ Big Ears ’ is a full-bodied broadcaster and is consider more liberal of warmth and humidity . In the garden world , ‘ Countess von Zeppelin ’ and ‘ Helene von Stein ’ often masquerade as ‘ Big Ears ’ . I can not say every plant for sales event is the same , but the names generally all refer to the same heavy - leaved plant .

Tip: Be wary of the nomenclature

‘ cotton plant Boll’(S. byzantina‘Cotton Boll ’ ) , on the other script , push up an abundance of bow without flower because it is a uninspired survival of the fittest . Its alone look and name come from the vivacious silver - white fuzzy egg that seem in tier along the stems in other summertime . The head - to - toe fogginess of ‘ Cotton Boll ’ is a textural treat , while both hot- and cool - colored bloom enhance its smart silvery stems and foliage . ‘ Cotton Boll ’ is 10 inches tall — to 18 inches with floral stem — and 30 inches wide . The flower stems protrude out upright but tend to fall flat later . Removing the stems is not necessary to maintain health and energy , but the plant will look tidier .

The short and narrow-minded leaves of‘Silver Carpet’(S. byzantina‘Silver Carpet ’ ) are the same silvery unripened as those of the species , though the minuscule leaves seem woolier than other lamb ’ ears to me . While this cultivar is considered nonflowering , an occasional flowered stem may pop up . These erratic stems do n’t add anything to the show , so a quick clip takes maintenance of that . ‘ Silver Carpet ’ is the lambs ’ ears that I see most unremarkably used as a ground cover . The dense , matt - mould habit has a sporty looking , leave it to resolve in nicely at the front of a bed or delimitation .

‘ Wave Hill’(S. byzantina‘Wave Hill ’ ) is essentially a flowering version of ‘ Big capitulum ’ , so naturally I am predisposed to like it . The similarity of the two in leaf and drug abuse is authentic , but ‘ Wave Hill ’ systematically produces flowers each twelvemonth . At 32 inches , its blossom stem were the tallest of the lambs ’ ears , and the half - inch efflorescence were twice as long as those of ‘ Primrose Heron ’ . love the modest floral show , but be straightaway to remove the spent stems before seeds ripen and things reverse unworthy . The turgid , silvery green leaves form a juicy hammock .

Paradoxically , it is not that I liked‘PrimroseHeron’(S. byzantina‘Primrose Heron ’ ) moreor less than other lambs ’ ear ; it ’s that I like it at all . At first , I was dubious of the scandalmongering - gray leave — they looked a bite sickly — but by the third spring , their flabby incandescence won me over . The other Paris green to occasionally acid yellow semblance bit by bit fades to gray - light-green , although some yellow may come out again in fall . ‘ Primrose Heron ’ just missed a top score because of small flower output , which , ironically , is what I reckon the least important attribute of lambs ’ ears . Unfortunately , it also lacks the vigor of other cultivarsand seems to fight more after winter .

‘ Robusta ’ big betony(S. macrantha‘Robusta ’ ) was a self-coloured performing artist from the first spring to the last . Unlike lamb ’ ears , betonies are bloom plant first , although there is nothing shabby about the foliar show on its own ; they are also clumpers rather than spreaders . The 1 - inch - long , vivacious , flushed purple flowers are larger than most and are clustered in concluding ear from former spring to midsummer . acme flush is about two workweek after floral budburst . In full sun , the flowers are tightly bunched in ringlet at the ends of upright stanch ; the whorls are loose in partial shade .

The resemblance of ‘ Robusta ’ to‘Superba ’ big betony(S. macrantha‘Superba ’ ) is clear , so much so that I tell gardeners to consider them standardised and to buy whichever is easy to find . That said,‘Superba ’ has dour pink - regal flowers andis slightly larger . It also blooms about two week later than ‘ Robusta ’ . The broad , intimately heart - work leafage remain healthy from spring to fall . consecrate their close likeness to each other , I can not really explicate why I favor ‘ Robusta ’ over ‘ Superba ’ . I would be glad with either one in my garden .

‘ Hummelo ’ Sir Henry Wood betony(S. officinalis ‘ Hummelo ’ ) might be the best affair that ever happened to betonies , because its popularity increase gardener ’ awareness of other ones . As a plant , ‘ Hummelo ’ looks much like any wood betony ; however , the half - inch blossom are a distinctive black violet . From early to midsummer , thickset flower heads—3 inches long — are defy on arrow - straight stems to 24 column inch marvellous . ‘ Hummelo ’ has minute green parting than braggart betony but shares the same wrinkled surface and scalloped margin . ‘ Hummelo ’ was named after Piet Oudolf ’s garden / nursery — but , interestingly , Hummelis German for “ bumblebee ” and could be taken as a nod to this plant ’s bee - friendly nature . All betonies and Elia ’ ears are great pollinator plant life . After age of delighting gardener , ‘ Hummelo ’ was identify the 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year — a well - deserve honour .

‘ Pink Cotton Candy ’ forest betony(S.officinalis‘Pink Cotton Candy ’ ) is a seedling find in our trials — one positive line of reasoning for not deadheading ! We promptly recognized its unique bichrome pinkish flowers and especial flora vigor . Each flower is light and sorry pink , and both colors pass to light interpretation as they age , which creates a multicolored floral show from too soon to late summertime . The half - inch flush are bunch in 4 - in spikes atop 24 - in - marvellous stems ; without flowers the plant is thick . Although some gardeners have reported slack to floppy stems , we observed a strictly just habit in our full - sun garden . The monochromatic pairing of ‘ Pink Cotton Candy ’ with short coneflowers is delicious . Pixie Meadowbrite ® (Echinacea‘CBG Cone 2 ’ , Zones 4–9 ) , for exercise , is a perfect companion .

New kids worthy of a second look

My first impressions of a plant are not always durable one , but‘Summer Romance ’ betony(S.‘Summer Romance ’ ) beguile me from its early days in the tribulation . The bright pink - purple flowers , in nearly 4 - inch - long clump , peak for a duad of weeks in other summer before dwindling down by midsummer . ‘ Summer Romance ’ has a shaggy-haired habit , 32 to 36 inches magniloquent and 24inches wide , with set purplish bloom stems that develop above hill of healthy green leaves . The comparison to ‘ Hummelo ’ is an gentle one to make because they have a alike flavour , but I think ‘ Summer Romance ’ has a robustness of habit and flower that surpasses its predecessor .

The flowers of‘Summer Crush ’ betony(S.‘Summer Crush ’ ) make a mellower sweet than those of the vibrant ‘ Summer Latinian language ’ . Both cultivars come up from the script of horticulturist Brent Horvath , who has introduced many telling perennial over the years . The small flowers spread garden pink and long time to soft pink and blank — a pretty flower show in the nervure of ‘ pinkish Cotton Candy ’ . Dense blossom spikes , to 3 inches long , rod on hard stems from early to midsummer . ‘ summertime Crush ’ reach 34 inches tall and 28 in wide in just two years .

Dwarf Grant Wood betony(S. officinalis‘Densiflorus ’ ) is tiny in all shipway to larger betonies but does not skimp on charm . The calendered dark green leaves are about 2 inch long and just over a half - inch wide , and they have dainty scalloped tolerance . Rosy empurpled flowers , crowded in short spike , bloom from early to June 21 . Dwarf wood betony ’s compact height , just 10 inchestall and 12 column inch wide , is helpful in smallerspaces where the sizing and vigor of bigger betonies would not exploit . I am show this pint - size knockout in my public treasury garden , and resisting calling it “ cute ” is tough .

A bit of lambs ’ ears continually evade my trial due to lack of availability , so I was pleased to find‘Silky Fleece’(S.byzantina‘Silky Fleece ’ ) , a smartly named newer entry . The small velvety leave of absence are pale silvery gullible and form thickset rosettes up to 10 inch wide of the mark . Although I ’m thoroughly slaked with the leaves of ‘ Silky Fleece ’ on their own , the spikes of plum - coloured flowers on 10 - in - grandiloquent stem are a sweet skin senses in midsummer . The slick cushions quell attractive and healthy if stems are removed promptly as heyday fade .

bedrock

What’s the difference? Lambs’ ears vs. betony

The three main members of the genusStachysare fair easy to identify if you concentre on their foliar trait .

Lambs’ ears

S. byzantinaandcvs.

Big betony

S. macranthaandcvs.

Wood betony

S. officinalisandcvs.

Richard Hawke is plant rating manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe , Illinois .

reference

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