The Wollziest (Stachys byzantina) has numerous relatives within the genus Stachys, which have also been used as medicinal plants since the Middle Ages. Choosing the right variety for your own garden depends on how you want to integrate the plant into your garden design.
Which Wollziest varieties are there and what are their characteristics?
There are different Wollziest varieties such as the wild form Stachys byzantina, the lazy-flowering subspecies “Silver Carpet” and the impressively flowering “Cotton Boll”. They differ in flower formation, growth habit and appearance, matching the desired garden design.
Characteristics and care of the wild form of Stachys byzantina
In its original form, the Wollziest (Stachys byzantina) still occurs today in countries such as Iran, Turkey and Armenia on sometimes extremely barren soils. It is characterized above all by the following properties:
- very resistant to dryness due to the finely hairy leaves
- relatively prolific
- non-toxic and can be used as a medicinal plant
- gets by with few nutrients
- does not tolerate waterlogging
The flowers of the wild variety Stachys byzantina form in the leaf axil and, with their pink to purple hue, are relatively inconspicuous against the silver-gray background of the leaves and plant stems. Since the woolly, hairy leaf mass is the main visual focus of the woolly zest for most gardeners, the flower stalks that form are often simply cut off.
Blooming-rotten Wollziest as the center of desire
Due to the aversion of many gardeners to the flowers of the Wollziest, a Wollziest variety was bred with the subspecies “Silver Carpet” that produces no or hardly any inflorescences. These plants can therefore usually only be propagated by division. However, they also spread over time on their own over available areas and thus serve as a slightly taller ground cover. Since the leaves of the “Silver Carpet” variety are also dipped in a silvery gray due to their fine hairs, you can use them as an underplant to create flat contrasts to other flowering plants such as roses.
Woolziest in the shape of cotton
The Wollziest variety Stachys byzantina “Cotton Boll”, also known as Cotton Boll, forms impressive flower balls in which the actual pink flowers visually disappear into the large, woolly flower balls. The overall shape of the flower stalks is reminiscent of a cotton plant and is around 40 to 60 centimeters high.
Tip
If the Wollziest variety “Cotton Boll” needs to be pruned after flowering as part of plant care, it is worth drying the flower stalks for later use in dry bouquets.
