LAMB'S-EAR
Stachys byzantina
Mint / Dead-Nettle [Lamiaceae] 
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Mint / Dead-Nettle [Lamiaceae]
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| 25th Sept 2010, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Spreading rampant in a farmers field near habitation. Lamb's-ear is renown for its cover ground ability. |
| 25th Sept 2010, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves light green underneath a mat of course hairs. Lamb's-ear is better known for its foliage rather than its flowers |
| 25th Sept 2010, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Hairy square stems arising from the centre of a few basal leaves. Stem leaves in opposite pairs, most just below the flowers which are in distinct whorls on the upper part of the stem, alas here all spent. |
| 25th Sept 2010, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| The now brown woolly hairy sepal tubes having lost the purple bi-symmetric flowers. |
| 25th Sept 2010, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| All leaves oval to shoe-horn shaped and roughly hairy, so shapen and woolly that they are said to resemble lambs ears. |
| 23rd May 2010, Parbold, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Garden Variety. Lamb's-ear is renown for its cover ground ability. |
| 15th June 2010, Grange over Sands, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Garden Variety. Flowers so woolly hairy as to be almost hidden by white. |
| 15th June 2010, Grange over Sands, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Garden Variety. Bi-lateral purple flowers in whorls up the stem. |
| 15th June 2010, Grange over Sands, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Garden Variety. The five dark triangular points poking out amidst the white hairs are the sepals. |
| 15th June 2010, Grange over Sands, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Garden Variety. The five triangular sepals amidst the mass of white woolly hairs. |
| 15th June 2010, Grange over Sands, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Garden Variety. The flowers are the typical Wondwort two-lipped, purple with white markings. the lower lip having three lobes. The flower itself has only very short hairs. |
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A popular garden plant, planted mainly for its woolly foliage rather than its flowers. There are several cultivated variants: 'Cotton Bolls' which has no (visible) flowers just a lot of woolly balls in their place, and 'Big Ears' which has longer leaves. Spreads like wild-fire, especially the many non-flowering rosettes of basal leaves, so it makes a good 'ground-cover' plant. Escapes into the wild with ease.
Some similarities to : Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : Purple woundwort-type flowers on a plant covered in a thick white mat of woolly hairs. Leaves whitish due to the woolly hairs. ANY TEXT GOES HERE |
 Stachys (Woundworts) |
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Mint / Dead-Nettle [Lamiaceae]
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