If you’re not yet familiar with some of the many lamb’s ear plant uses, this article provides a full profile of some of the ways you can use lamb’s ear. From medicinal to edible and ornamental, the uniquely furry soft lamb’s ear leaves contain treasures for you to enjoy.
More Than an Ornamental Plant
We’ve had lambs ear growing in our garden for years, and snip a leaf as a soothing bandaid for the occasional knuckle nick, scratch or sting. However, it’s only in this year that we’ve begun to make more use of lambs ear medicinal uses.
I suppose it’s like the proverbial phrase about using 10% of our brain capacity, (which isn’t actually a factual saying, but is relatable). Or how the capacity of our computers or smartphones far exceeds most of our knowledge of how to use all of it.
Well, it can be much the same with the plants all around us: they hold greater capacity than most of us know. For instance, we’ve only just begun harvesting our fig leaves for tea, which tastes great and is another tea with benefits, and the same for avocado leaves and so many other edible leaves.
So while ours create lovely silvery medicinal and edible ground cover in our partial shade hugelkultur area, it was time to put them to greater use. So we’ve hunkered down to study and put that to use through application.
Perennial Lamb’s Ear Plant
Lambs ear is a hardy perennial that grows eagerly up through — and sometimes beyond — the first frost. Then in spring, lambs ear is one of the first garden plants to shake off the cold, yawn and stretch and slowly expand its furry leaves, ready for another season to grow.
Lamb’s Ear Names
Lamb’s ear belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae.
Lambs Ear Scientific Name
A lamiaceae family member originating in the countries of Turkey, Armenia and Iran, this mint has several similar variants that have different sized leaves, height and character of flowers.
- Stachys byzantina – from Turkey, Armenia, Iran; scant flowering; zones 4-8[1]https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=p980
FORMERLY:- Stachys lanata
- Stachys olympica[2]https://dorsetperennials.co.uk/product/stachys-lanata/
Lamb’s Ear Common Names
Most of these are regional descriptors based on how soft and pleasant the leaves are to touch, with the most universally popular common name being ‘lamb’s ear.
- bear’s ear
- bunnies’ ears
- Byzantine ear
- cat’s ear
- Jesus flannel
- lamb’s tongue
- lamb’s wool
- lamb’s ear
- lamb’s tongue
- mouse ear
- rabbit ear
- Wooly lamb’s ear
- Wooly betony (betony is another plant with purple flowers that’s also in the mint family
- Wooly woundwort
Lamb’s Ear Medicinal Uses – Traditional Uses Scientifically Validated
Most people are familiar with lamb’s ear medicinal uses as bandages, but may not be as familiar with some of the other medicinal benefits of lamb’s ear.
Research indicates that the natural compounds found in Stachys byzantina extracts corroborate the anecdotal uses of this plant. Lamb’s ear traditional uses include health problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, skin disorders, diabetes mellitus, plus it has antioxidant properties that contributes to the mitigation of free radical damage.[3]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031942296007510?via%3Dihub
Ways to Use Lamb’s Ear
- OIL – made from lamb’s ear macerated in oil, such as olive oil. External uses of this oil massaged on skin include:[4]https://lavalheureuse.com/boutique-web/en/organic-herbal-wooly-lamb-s-ear-stachys-byzantina-p239/
- anti-inflammatory
- antibacterial
- antiseptic
- astringent
- vulnerary
- ear pain
- OINTMENT with beeswax – can relieve hemorrhoids and other similar benefits as the lamb’s ear oil
- TEA
- TINCTURES
Health Benefits of Lamb’s Ear Plant
- analgesic (for pain)[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964621/
- antibacterial[6]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792521/
- antimicrobial – especially against Gram-positive microorganisms; less so with Gram-negative ones[7]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8709469/
- anti-candida (as an essential oil rather than an ethanol extract)[8]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792521/
- anticancer[9]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601302/
- antimicrobial[10]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8709469/
- anti-diabetic[11]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601302/
- antioxidant[12]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8709469/
- anti-inflammatory[13]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601302/
- antispasmodic
- [14]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601302/
- antitumor
- [15]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601302/
- anti-tyrosinase – scavenges free radicals[16]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6194685/
- anti-Alzheimer’s