STACHYS

Lambs' ears, lambs' tails and lambs' tongues all describe this white-woolly ground cover.

Genus of about 300 species of annuals, perennials and a few evergreen shrubs widely distributed in a range of habitats including mountains, dry, rocky hills, scrub, wasteland, meadows, forest clearings and streamsides, especially in northern temperate regions.

Natives include S. sylvatica, hedge woundwort, the leaves of which contain a volatile oil with antiseptic qualities, the rare limestone woundwort, S. alpina, the widespread betony, A. officinalis which was an invaluable medicinal herb throughout history, and very rare downy woundwort, S. germanica.