Lamb's ear - good or bad?

[Anonymous]

Gardening novice here. I found some beautiful Lamb's Ear at American Plant a few weeks and added them to my south facing garden that's along a front lawn. Now I' googling how to take care of them, and I see people complain that they are invasive, taking over their lawns through seeds and rhizomes, and that it spreads like mint. AAAKKK. Is that true? Should I pull them out?? That last thing I want is something else to have to weed all the time.

[Anonymous]

I don't weed mine, but I place it in areas where I want it to spread a bit. I have mine on a slope, that's boarded by the road and my front yard. We mow right up to the slope, so it doesn't ever have a chance to spread to the yard. It keeps the other weeds out.

[Anonymous]

Mine doesn’t spread at all? But I am also a novice - it’s possible that what is planted is not actually lambs ear but some other similarly fuzzy silvery thing

[Anonymous]

It will spread, and it is not native.

Native alternative to lamb's ear, for the dry full sun location that lambs ear likes and that won't spread aggressively, assuming it is the gray foliage you like:

Field pussytoes (will slowly spread by runners but easy to control): https://www.prairienursery.com/field-pussytoes-antennaria-neglecta.html?srsltid=AfmBOopF9zw4n4zzLs1t42wVyPGLV-cB9F7IFwsnMUHguAJCkZWV8Zna

Heuchera villosa (while most coral bells like shade, some do well in full sun, particularly darker leaved varieites and hybrids, like ‘Southern Comfort’ and ‘Georgia Peach’ "Caramel," "Tiramisu")

rattlesanke master (intriquing native plant for the mid atlantic, has a southwestern look to it)

Pearly everlasting (a bit taller): https://www.prairiemoon.com/anaphalis-margaritacea-pearly-everlasting

Silver yarrow (https://naturesherbfarms.com/silver-yarrow/)

For shade:

Tiarella cordifoloa (foam flower)

Heuchera (coral bells-- many color options including some silvery, e.e. "Stainless Steel, Siler scroll, Silver gumdrop, etc.)

Phlox stolonifera 'White Ridge' (or 'Bruce's White')

Phlox divaricata 'White Perfume'

white wood aster

Non-Natives

If you don't care about it being native, other plants with gray foliage are listed here: https://www.thespruce.com/pictures-of-silver-foliage-plants-4069719

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine doesn’t spread at all? But I am also a novice - it’s possible that what is planted is not actually lambs ear but some other similarly fuzzy silvery thing

You may have a clumping variety of lambs ear that don't flower (or not as much) like 'Helene von Stein' (also known as 'Big Ears') or 'Silver Carpet'. They spread to form clumps, instead of running, and since they don't flower or barely flower, reseeding all over the place is less of a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't weed mine, but I place it in areas where I want it to spread a bit. I have mine on a slope, that's boarded by the road and my front yard. We mow right up to the slope, so it doesn't ever have a chance to spread to the yard. It keeps the other weeds out.

Interesting, thanks. Does it spread like liriope? We have some liriope in slopes bordering the yard and pathways, but I hate how overgrown it gets.

[Anonymous]

Lambs ears do spread, but not anything like liriope. For one thing it is really easy to weed out if you don’t want it. Just grab a hunk and pull. Most of the plant and its roots will come out. I need a serious digging fork and a wheelbarrow to get rid of my liriope.

Let your lambs ears be, OP. You bought it for a reason, and it isn’t some horrible invasive. It’s not native and it’s assertive, but it is also quite pretty and useful in a garden. I say this as a primarily native gardener. I still have a bit of lambs ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lambs ears do spread, but not anything like liriope. For one thing it is really easy to weed out if you don’t want it. Just grab a hunk and pull. Most of the plant and its roots will come out. I need a serious digging fork and a wheelbarrow to get rid of my liriope.

Let your lambs ears be, OP. You bought it for a reason, and it isn’t some horrible invasive. It’s not native and it’s assertive, but it is also quite pretty and useful in a garden. I say this as a primarily native gardener. I still have a bit of lambs ears.

Thanks so much. Glad to hear it.

[Anonymous]

Folks, there are different varieties of lambs ear and liriope -- some are worse than others. Research your varieity before planting it or making recommenations about it.