Use the flowers of this pretty perennial to create stunning dried bouquets.
Sea lavender can grow in almost any garden, given the right conditions.
Once cut, thecalyces dry well and can last for months.
Credit: Denny Schrock
This perennial’s leaves are held close to the ground in a basal rosette.
From this grouping of foliage, the long flower stems develop.
For plants, dig a hole slightly bigger than the root ball.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Firm the soil and water the plant.
Wait untilafter the last spring frostand sow groups of three or four seeds spaced 18-24 inches apart.
As they grow, thin each group to the most vigorous plant.
Credit: Tom McWilliam
It takes three to four years for seed-sown plants to mature.
Full sun also helps to keep the plant dry and prevents root rot.
The plant is drought-tolerant and rarely needs supplemental water after it is established.
Credit: Laurie Dickson
Temperature and Humidity
Sea lavender can tolerate heat but not frost.
Most varieties are winter hardy to zone 4.
The plant prefers dry conditions and doesn’t tolerate high humidity well.
Credit: Jeff McNamara
Fill the pot with moistsandy potting soil.
Add nursery-grown plants or sow seeds and barely cover them.
Place the pot in a full sun location and give it an inch of water once a week.
Don’t plan on repotting sea lavender.
It doesn’t tolerate transplanting well.
Thinning the plants to improve air circulation and improving soil drainage helps.
How to Propagate Sea Lavender
Sea lavender can be propagated bystem cuttingsand seeds.
Cuttings:Cut 6 inches from the end of a softwood stem on an established plant.
Remove any foliage from the bottom half of the cutting and dip it into a rooting hormone.
Insert at least half of the cutting into a small pot filled with moist, sandy potting soil.
After the plant shows new growth, slowly acclimate it to a full-sun exposure before transplanting it outside permanently.
When they are completely dry,they can be stored.
Growing 18-30 inches tall, this plant appreciates shade from hot afternoon sun when growing in the warmest climates.
One of the tallest sea lavenders, it grows 24-36 inches and has an upright habit.
It is an excellent cut flower.
Plants range from tiny creeping groundcovers to 30-inch-tall cut flowers, which are a favorite with florists.
The foliage is blue-green.
Dusty Miller
Dusty miller is a favoritebecause it looks good with everything.
Red Hot Poker
Tall, dramatic red-hot pokerscreate architectural impactin sunny gardens.
Their bold spikes of brilliantly colored tubular flowers are set among sword-shaped leaves.
Most varieties are hybrid selections.
They need humus-rich soil that is well-drained and light.
Flower panicles may reach 12 feet tall in some selections with red or yellow tubular flowers.
Blooms only appear in mild climates, but they attract many species of birds.
If space is limited, check out dwarf forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Despite the name similarity, the two plants are not related.
The familiar lavender usually found in the herb garden is a member of theLavandulagenus.
Sea lavender doesn’t have the same pleasing scent as the herb.
Under ideal conditions, sea lavender can live for up to 15 years.
It may self-seed unless it is deadheaded.
