Rose Campion vs Lamb's Ear: What Are The Differences?

Rose campion and lamb’s ear are colorful perennial plants that are a stunning addition to any garden. Both are known for their bright appearance and their soft textured leaves. In fact, at first glance, it’s easy to assume that they are the same plant, but when we look closer, we actually find that they are very different. But just how different are they? Join us as we discover everything you need to know about rose campion vs lambs ear!

Comparing Lamb’s Ear vs Rose Campion

Rose campion is a member of the *Caryophyllaceae* family group, which is known as the pink family or carnation family.
©iStock.com/Nahhan

	Lamb’s Ear	Rose Campion
Species	Stachys byzantina	Silene coronaria
Alternative Names	Woolly hedgenettle	Dusty miller, mullein-pink, bloody William
Origin	Armenia, Iran, Turkey	Asia, Europe
Size	Height – up to 3 feet Width – 1 to 4 feet	Height – up to 3 feet Width – 1 to 2 feet
Growth Style	Leaves form mounds	Upright
Leaves	Wide elongated oval, woolly, velvet texture, greyish-green to silver	Narrow elongated oval, approx 5 inches, soft texture, typically green
Flowers	Flower spikes, pinkish-purple	Round-shaped petals, typically magenta
Bloom	Mid-summer	Late spring to early summer

The 4 Key Differences Between Rose Campion and Lamb’s Ear

The main difference between rose campion and lamb’s ear is their leaves.

Lamb’s ears have larger leaves which are a different color and shape. Their flowers also have a different appearance to those of rose campion. Other differences between the two plants include their origin, family groups, and bloom time.

Rose Campion vs Lamb’s Ear: Classification

Lamb’s ear is a Lamiaceae member, commonly called the mint, sage, or deadnettle family.
©iStock.com/Orest Lyzhechka

Although rose campion and lamb’s ear are similar, they are not actually related as they are from different family groups. Rose campion is a member of the Caryophyllaceae family group, which is known as the pink or carnation family and includes approximately 2,625 species.

Lamb’s ear is a member of the Lamiaceae, which is commonly called the mint, sage, or deadnettle family. Lamiaceae is a large family group that is comprised of approximately 7,000 species. Many of its members are culinary herbs that are widely used around the world – such as sage, basil, mint, and thyme.

Rose Campion vs Lamb’s Ear: Origin

Rose campion is common in gardens and along roadsides.
©iStock.com/Mauricio Acosta

Another major difference between these two plants is where they originate from. Rose campion is native to Asia and Europe, although it was introduced to many other countries and has since become naturalized in the United States. Rose campion is common in gardens and along roadsides.

Lamb’s ear is native to Armenia, Iran, and Turkey, and naturally grows on rocky hillsides. However, like the rose campion, it has been introduced to many other countries – including the United States.

Rose Campion vs Lamb’s Ear: Leaves

The leaves of lamb’s ear have a woolly appearance and are covered in a thick fuzz, giving it a velvety texture.
©iStock.com/Olena Lialina

The most noticeable difference between these two plants is the appearance of their leaves. Rose campions have leaves that are an elongated oval shape of approximately 5 inches long. They have a soft texture and are typically green in color.

Lamb’s ears have larger leaves than rose champions. Although they are also a somewhat elongated oval shape – much like the shape of lamb’s ears, hence their name – they are typically wider than those of rose campion. The leaves of lamb’s ear have a woolly appearance and are covered in a thick fuzz which gives it a velvety texture but also makes them appear as a greyish-green to silver color. This color is most readily used to distinguish between the two plants. Lamb’s ear typically spreads wide across the ground as it grows, creating a thick mat. Quite often, the leaves can form a thick mound shape which can be 2 to 3 feet across.

Rose Campion vs Lamb’s Ear: Flowers

Rose campion has flowers with round-shaped petals, which are usually a stunning magenta color.
©iStock.com/Taiftin

Although the flowers of both rose campion and lamb’s ear are similar, they’re actually very different. Rose campion has flowers with round-shaped petals, which are usually a stunning magenta color. However, the flowers on lamb’s ear grow on tall flower spikes. The blooms themselves are only small – especially compared to rose campion – and are usually a pinkish-purple color.