Santolina chamaecyparissus (Lavender Cotton)

Santolina or Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus), a favorite of Mediterranean gardens, is a beautiful evergreen shrub noted not only for its dense, fine, silvery gray-green foliage all year round but for its drought tolerance.

• Blooming occurs in summer with a display of small button-like bright yellow flowers, but Santolina is mostly grown for its foliage.
• Grows in broad, dense mounds up to 24 in. tall (60 cm) and 36 in. wide (90 cm).
• Thrives in dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. A poor, dry soil lover (rich soils or wet soils to be avoided!), Santolina is Drought tolerant once established,
• A great candidate for beds and borders, gravel gardens, coastal gardens, cottage gardens, Mediterranean gardens, hedges and screens, containers, and edgings.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Deer and rabbit resistant.
• Trim back after flowering to maintain a dense, compact shrub. Unpruned plants tend to become sparse and woody in the center. You can trim as needed around the edges or cut the whole plant back to a few inches high. After the blossoms fade, shear or clip off flowering shoots. In cold winters, plants may die to the ground, but they should send out new growth in spring.
• Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings
• Santolina chamaecyparissus is native to the western and central Mediterranean.