This attractive plant is great for creating low hedges.
A rugged Mediterranean herb, lavender cotton(Santolina chamaecyparissus)is grown for its attractive silver foliage.
The name is deceiving, though, because the plant is neither lavender nor cotton.
Credit: Denny Schrock
It’s often found growing inrock gardensand formal knot gardens because it stands up well to frequent trimming.
The silver foliage of lavender cotton makes an excellent backdrop for other flowers.
The pungent aroma repels rabbits and deer.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Lavender cotton may not bloom in areas where it is borderline hardy.
Where to Plant Lavender Cotton
When planting lavender cotton, consider its native Mediterranean climate.
It enjoys full sun andwell-drained and gritty soiland doesn’t tolerate excessive moisture.
Credit: Denny Schrock
It makes a fine low hedge, can be shaped as a topiary, and is a usefulxeriscaping plant.
How and When to Plant Lavender Cotton
Lavender cotton is readily available as nursery-grown plants.
Choose a well-draining planting area, but don’t add compost to improve the drainage.
Credit: Greg Ryan
Compost makes soil more acidic, while lavender cotton prefersslightly alkaline soil.
Dig a hole twice as wide and the same height as the nursery container.
Settle the new plant in the soil at the same depth it was in the nursery container.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Backfill the hole, pressing down with your hands to prevent air bubbles.
When planting multiple plants, space them 3 feet apart.
In cool areas, plant lavender cotton plants in spring so they have time to become established before winter.
Credit: Jo-Ann Richards
In temperate areas, plant lavender cotton in spring or fall.
Lavender cotton seeds can be started inside before the last spring frost for later transplanting into the garden.
Lavender Cotton Care Tips
Lavender cotton is a low-maintenance plant when its basic needs are met.
Give lavender cotton as much sun as possible, as it flourishes in hot and dry summer weather.
Like many other Mediterranean plants, lavender cotton prefers alkaline soil over acidic soil.
This drought-tolerant plant prefers dry to medium-dry soil.
During their first year, give young plants an inch of water a week.
After that, water established plants twice a month if there is little rain.
They tolerate summer temperatures up to 95F and cold temperatures to 15F for short periods.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer isn’t necessary for lavender cotton plants.
They prefer poor, rocky soil.
Choose a container larger than the plant’s root ball and fill it with potting mix.
Carefully loosen the plant’s roots with your hands before planting it.
Keep the container and plant in a warm, well-lit spot, such as a south or east-facing window.
Water it once a week.
As the plant grows, transplant it to a larger container as needed.
Pests and Problems
Lavender cotton plants are almost pest free.
The oils in the foliage keep away deer and rabbits.
Areas with cool temperatures and humid weather can cause fungal problems, as can overwatering the plant.
After a few weeks, roots will develop.
Seed:Prepare a seed flat by filling it withmoist vermiculiteeight weeks before the last spring frost.
They require light to germinate.
Place the seed flat in an area where it receives a steady 68F and water it sparingly.
Germination occurs one to three weeks later.
Transplant to the garden after the last spring frost.
Cuttings:Takestem cuttingsno longer than 3 inches from fresh growth during warm months.
Stems that are brown are too old to root successfully.
Remove the foliage from the bottom two-thirds of the cutting, leaving the tip intact.
Fill a seed flat or small container with moistened perlite or a mix of perlite and compost.
Make a small hole in the perlite for each cutting.
Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone, insert them into the planting medium and firm it around them.
Water the container sparingly and put it in a sheltered area away from the sun and wind.
After that, water it only when the planting medium is dry to the touch.
Too much water causes the cuttings to rot.
It takes two to three months for the cuttings to root.
The plant can be sheared to keep it more compact.
It bears buttonlike yellow blooms in early summer.
These can be sheared back after bloom to keep the plant tidy.
Zones 6-9
Green Santolina
Santolina rosmarinifoliais called green lavender cotton and formerly was classified asSantolina virens.
The plant has fine-texture, fragrant, medium-green foliage and grows 1-2 feet tall.
In spring, it bears buttonlike yellow flowers.
It is a good choice for rock gardens and herbal knot gardens.
Avoid overwatering it to prevent the stems from flopping open in midsummer.
Zones 7-9
Dwarf Lavender Cotton
Santolina chaemacyparissus’Nana' is a dwarf form of lavender cotton.
It grows to only 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide.
The silver-gray foliage is fragrant and covered with bright, golden-yellow globe-shaped flowers in summer.
‘Nana’ is longer-lived than other lavender cotton cultivars.
It is bothered by few pests or diseases.
It’s a great cut flowerbring in armloads to brighten the house.and birds and butterflies love it.
Allow it to spread so you have at least a small stand of it.
Butterflies and helpful bees also love purple coneflower.
It used to be that rosy purple or white were the only choices in flower color.
Recent hybrids have introduced yellow, orange, burgundy, cream, and shades in between.
Blanket Flower
Blanket flowersare wonderfully cheerful, long-blooming plants for hot, sunny gardens.
They produce single or double daisy flowers through most of the summer and well into fall.
The brick-red ray flowers are tipped with yellowthe colors of Mexican blankets.
Blanket flowers tolerate light frost and are seldom eaten by deer.
Deadhead the flowers to keep them blooming consistently through the summer and into fall.
Some species are short-lived, especially if the soil is not well-drained.
Sedum
Sedums arenearly the perfect plants.
Many are attractive even in winter when their foliage dies and is left standing.
They’re also drought-tolerant and need very little care.
They’re favorites of butterflies and useful bees.
The tall types are outstanding for cutting and drying.
Does it get better than that?
All thrive in full sun with good drainage.
Groundcover types do a good job of suppressing weeds but seldom tolerate foot traffic.
Some smaller ones are best grown in pots or treated as houseplants.
Even then, these plants need little more from you than the occasional tidying up.
Silvery gray-green foliage is a common thread tying together thesedrought-tolerant perennials.
Bees, butterflies, and other insects visit the yellow blooms of lavender cotton throughout the summer.
