WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Stachys byzantina, WUCOLS IV

How often to water lamb's ears in California

In July in the Central Valley, established lamb's ears in loam need a deep watering about every 14 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.8 gallons a week. Lamb's ears are low, spreading perennials from the rocky hills of Turkey to Iran. Their thick rosettes of leaves are so woolly they look silver and feel like flannel. The plants reach 6 to 8 inches tall, send up spikes of purplish pink flowers in summer and spread by rooting stems. The fuzzy leaves rot when kept wet, so they need very well-drained soil.

PerennialRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water lamb's ears, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for lamb's ears and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1 foot of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry several inches down in summer heat means an established clump can take a deep watering
  • Leaves turning mushy and brown after rain or sprinkler spray point to leaf rot from wet foliage
  • Bare, rotted patches after a wet spell show the soil drains too slowly for this plant
  • Flower stalks flopping over the foliage in summer are normal, so cut them off to keep the clump compact
  • A crowded, declining clump after a few years needs dividing, not extra water

How to water it

  • Water at the soil with drip, never over the woolly leaves
  • Soak about 6 inches deep, then let the soil dry well before watering again
  • Plant in very well-drained soil, using a slope or raised bed where drainage is slow
  • Give the plants afternoon shade in hot inland gardens
  • Remove flower spikes after bloom, and divide crowded clumps to keep the mat tidy

Through the seasons

Water new plants until they root in, keeping water off the leaves. The rosettes stay evergreen in mild winters, and flower spikes rise from late spring into summer. Long wet spells in winter can rot the foliage, so good drainage matters most then. WUCOLS rates lamb's ears low water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. They rate moderate water on the south coast and in South Inland. The high desert also carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks them as not suited to the low desert.

In pots

Lamb's ears grow well in a wide container, where their silver rosettes can spill over the edge. Use a gritty, fast-draining mix and a pot with drainage holes. In summer heat, check the mix every few days and water the soil, not the leaves, once the top 2 inches are dry. Let water drain away, then empty the saucer. Pull off any soft, rotting leaves, and keep the pot on the dry side in winter.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Lamb's Ears: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.780.780.74–
Feb0.210.260.810.870.93–
Mar0.350.431.151.31.46–
Apr0.470.611.41.611.89–
May0.580.831.611.952.39–
Jun0.640.991.742.292.85–
Jul0.641.071.982.513.04–
Aug0.60.951.862.332.79–
Sep0.50.721.491.862.14–
Oct0.350.471.151.331.46–
Nov0.190.220.840.90.93–
Dec0.120.140.650.680.65–
Year4.86.8415.518.4121.27–

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like lamb's ears. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

AgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyIrisesIris germanicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain AlyssumAlyssum montanumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver SageSalvia argentealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple MulleinVerbascum phoeniceumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilvery YarrowAchillea clavennaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFern Leaf YarrowAchillea filipendulinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain Lady's MantleAlchemilla alpinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes lamb's ears, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water lamb's ears in summer?

In July, established lamb's ears in loam need a deep watering about every 14 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 6 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water do lamb's ears need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established lamb's ears need about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for lamb's ears change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates lamb's ears separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Why are my lamb's ears rotting?

The woolly leaves rot when they stay wet from sprinklers, high humidity or long rains. Slow-draining soil makes it worse. Water at the soil line and plant it on a slope or raised bed.

Should I cut off lamb's ears flowers?

Many gardeners do, since removing the summer flower spikes keeps the clump compact and shows off the leaves. Some cultivars rarely flower at all.

Do lamb's ears spread?

Yes. They spread by stems that root where they touch the ground and can reach 4 to 5 feet across. In good conditions they can be aggressive, so divide clumps every few years.

Can lamb's ears grow in shade?

They grow in full sun to part shade and like some afternoon shade in hot summers. Deep shade with damp soil invites rot.

Are lamb's ears good for a children's garden?

Yes. Its soft, fuzzy leaves make it a favorite for sensory and children's gardens. Deer also tend to leave them alone.

More plant watering guides

Portuguese OakSoapbark TreeSilver SageNecklace TreeCoralberryPurple MulleinBailey AcaciaSilver Wattle

Sources