Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina)

• Foliage perennial
• Zones 1-24, 29-43
• Full Sun or partial shade
• Moderate watering

The soft, thick, woolly white-green foliage of lamb's ears is a favorite of many, especially children: it's difficult to pass a planting without stopping to pick a leaf to feel its softness. These 4-inch leaves grow in dense, ground-hugging rosettes; clumps increase by sending out aboveground runners. A mature planting reaches about 1 foot tall and as wide as you let it spread. Lamb's ears is usually grown at the front of a border or along a pathway, where it's easy to see.