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Stachys byzantina
Victoria Sponge
Posts: 3,502
in Plants
Can anyone tell me which kind of stachys byzantina this is, at this stage? I'm assuming that's what it is. I found it a year or so ago when it was just one ear. The tallest part is now 25cm, if that helps.
I need some plants to pad out my front garden but want a flowering type not a cowardly ground cover.
Can anyone help?
Thank you
Wearside, England.
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Posts
Just thinking about this further, I assume it must be a flowering type because it seeded in my garden from some where (
)...just wondering now if the non-flowering types really don't flower or does it mean the flowers are inconspicuous?
I'd like the one with the tall flower spikes...
I wouldn't be able to tell unless it flowered or didn't.
If it's any help mine is about 18inches tall now, but not showing any colour yet.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I had the same thought about the seeding! Some people tell you to cut off the flowers, but I like them too and the bees absolutely love them. Mine make quite a statement when flowering and the leaves are a good foil to other plants all year.
Thanks guys. I thought it would look nice with some penstemon, if it's a taller variety. I might plant it up anyway and see what it does.
I had a few achillea disappear over winter and I'm hunting around the garden for stuff to put in their place
I always thought the fluffy silvery grey version was stachys lanata. It does produce flower spikes which are fluffy too with added colour from little deep pink petals and yes, it does make good ground cover from creeping as well as self seeding. Bees love mine.
The names are synonyms, Stachys byzantina is the current one. I love to touch the leaves, must show my granddaughter next week!
I'm not sure if that is a flower spike Jo, or just a taller part as it appears to have been stood on in the middle and a lot of the stems are snapped.
There's no flower forming on it anyway, just smaller leaves.
Apparently the Silver Carpet variety has no flowers, if that's possible and there's another type which 'rarely flowers'. Hoping mine is the fuzzy flower spike one - something different for the bees
i have acres and acres of it. everywhere it lays it's head it roots. it does rip out easily.
it's moderately attractive-though wait until it's sodden and collapsing from the rain. it does make excellent compost.
i grow helen von stein which is big, silvery, clump forming-doesn't run all over the place.