Woolly Betony

How to grow Woolly Betony

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in spring on well-drained ground — a raised bed, gravel garden or the front of a sunny border suits it. Avoid heavy clay and shaded, damp corners, where the woolly leaves rot over winter. Space plants about 40 cm apart and let them knit into a mat.

Pruning

Pull or cut away blackened, rotted leaves in late winter and early spring to let air in and let new growth through. Many gardeners remove the flower spikes as they appear, since the plant is grown mainly for foliage and flowering makes it untidy.

Propagation

Lift and divide in spring; the rooted outer sections re-establish readily and the tired centre can be discarded. Division every three or four years keeps the mat dense.

Pests and diseases

Rots and fungal leaf spotting in wet winters are the main problem, and are almost always a drainage issue rather than a disease to spray. Slugs and snails shelter under the foliage.

Value to wildlife

If allowed to flower it is worked steadily by bumblebees. The wool-carder bee strips hairs from the leaves to line its nest, which is worth leaving a few plants unsheared to see.

Notes

The silver felted foliage is the point of the plant, and it is at its best in a hot, dry, poor spot. Rich soil and irrigation give lush green growth that collapses in the first wet spell.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Stachys byzantina but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Stachys