Stachys byzantia

Lamb’s Ear, Stachys byzantia, is from Turkey and Iran. It is grown for ground cover due to its silver-haired leaves but also has attractive flowers. The flowers attract many types of bee. One bee species that is very often seen on Lamb’s Ear in summer is the wool carder bee. The male wool carder bees form a territory on a patch. They are large and aggressive and chase off other bees in order to mate with the females bees who forage on their patch.