RE: dividing stachys

Hi all you Stachys Admirers,
	I have a suggestion for a plant that is similar in appearance to Lamb's
Ear, but doesn't travel or lean/tilt when in bloom.  It is Ballota nigra.
This plant has a nice silvery gray fuzzy leaf (smaller leaves and shorter
fuzz than Stachys) and the same fuzzy "pipe cleaner" stems.  The bloom stems
are similar in appearance with little button-like lavender flowers.  The big
difference is the overall form of the plant.  It makes a nice round clump
about 12-18" tall (not in bloom) by ~2 ft around.  Mine is in a dry rockery
in full west exposure and has never done any self sowing (although the
Verbascum chauxii & Lavenders nearby sow lavishly).  A nice "pettable"
perennial.  I have searched, but can't find an image of it on the web.  Some
catalogs are calling it "Black Horehound", but they describe it as stinking!
I can't smell mine at all, so either I have a very bad nose or we are
talking about 2 different plants.  That's the problem with common names.
Marilyn Dube'
Natural Designs Nursery
Portland, Oregon


-----Original Message-----
From:	owner-perennials@mallorn.com [owner-perennials@mallorn.com] On
Behalf Of Marge Talt
Sent:	Friday, June 22, 2001 9:52 PM
To:	perennials@mallorn.com
Subject:	Re: dividing stachys

Elle, do not think you strange at all...happen to like Stachys
flowers myself and always let them have at it.  Yes, they can lean
here and there, but I rather think they're neat...glad to find
another who also does!

I have found you can cut them back practically to nothing, as long as
there is life in the stem, they will leaf out again.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland

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