Firewise Plant: Lambs’ Ear

Plant Name:  Stachys byzantina
Common name:  Lambs’ Ear
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 12” – 15”
Plant Width:  15” – 18”
Bloom Time: July – Frost
Flower Color:  Purplish-pink spikes
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Well-Drained; Loam/Sand
Water Needs: Dry – Medium
Fire Resistant:  YES: Zone 2 – Plant 50’+ from Home.
Attributes: Attractive, Velvety, White-Silver Leaves; Tolerates Deer, Drought, Dry Soil; Foliage Provides Interesting Texture & Color; Attracts Butterflies
Uses: Ground Cover; Rock Garden; Accent in the border under shrubs.
Note: Spreads by creeping stems that root as they grow; Can be aggressive in rich soils; Damp leaves promote onset of disease; DON’T water overhead; Remove damaged leaves for neat appearance.
Native to: Turkey, Armenia, Iran
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo credit :Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hakone Grass

Plant Name:  Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold ’Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold _
Common name:  Japanese Forest Grass ‘All Gold’ or Hakone grass
Plant type:  Ornamental grass
Height: 15- 18 inches
Spread:   24  inches
Flowers: Yellow-green
Bloom Time: July & August
Exposure:  Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Humus, well draining
Water Needs: Moist & Regular
Attributes:   Colorful golden yellow leaves
Note:   Tolerates Black Walnut
Uses:  Containers,  Woodland Gardens,  Accent Plant, Walkways, Slopes, Shaded Rock Gardens, Naturalize
Native to:  Central Japan
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9