This attractive plant is great for create low hedges .
A rugged Mediterranean herb , lilac-colored cotton(Santolina chamaecyparissus)is grown for its attractive Ag foliage . The name is cozen , though , because the works is neither lavender nor cotton . It ’s often launch growing inrock gardensand stately knot garden because it stands up well to frequent trimming .
The silver foliage of lavender cotton plant have an fantabulous backcloth for other heyday . The delicate toothed leaf of this plant life have a pungent olfactory property that can be compare to a strongoreganoor woody camphor scent . The barbed perfume repels rabbits and cervid .
Credit: Denny Schrock
In midsummer , this shrubby plant is top off with buttonlike yellow blossoms that some gardeners opine detract from the overall prayer . Lavender cotton may not bloom in areas where it is boundary line hardy .
Where to Plant Lavender Cotton
When institute lavender cotton , believe its aboriginal Mediterranean climate . It enjoy full sun andwell - drained and gritty soiland does n’t tolerate excessive wet .
If you are n’t planting a formal mi garden ( where lavender cotton excels ) , use it in rock-and-roll gardens or at the front of delimitation . It makes a okay low hedging , can be shape as a topiary , and is a usefulxeriscaping flora .
How and When to Plant Lavender Cotton
Lavender cotton plant is readily usable as nursery - grown plants . opt a well - draining planting arena , but do n’t add compost to better the drainage . Compost makes stain more acidic , while lilac-colored cotton prefersslightly alkaline soil . Dig a hollow double as wide and the same height as the nursery container . Settle the new plant life in the filth at the same depth it was in the nursery container . Backfill the yap , pressing down with your custody to foreclose air bubbles . When planting multiple plants , space them 3 animal foot apart .
In cool areas , flora lavender cotton wool plants in fountain so they have time to become established before wintertime . In temperate areas , industrial plant lavender cotton fiber in bounce or fall .
Lavender cotton wool seeds can be commence indoors before the last leap frost for later transplanting into the garden .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Lavender Cotton Care Tips
Lavender cotton fiber is a low-toned - maintenance plant when its introductory needs are meet .
Light
Lavender cottongrows best in full Dominicus , which encourages the dear coloration foliage and most compact habit . Give lavender cotton plant as much sunlight as potential , as it boom in hot and dry summer conditions . Although it can bear part shade , the plants want more maintenance because part shade encourage floppiness and a more open , sprawl substance abuse .
Soil and Water
In addition to being well - draining , grunge for lilac cotton wool should be alimental - pitiful ; rich soil makes flora floppy and weak - wooded . Like many other Mediterranean plants , lavender cotton prefers alkaline soil over acid filth .
This drought - tolerant plant prefers dry to medium - dry soil . During their first class , give new industrial plant an inch of water a calendar week . After that , water give plants twice a month if there is picayune rain .
Temperature and Humidity
lilac-colored cotton plants thrive in lovesome , ironic areas with temperatures in the 65 ° F-80 ° fluorine range . They tolerate summer temperature up to 95 ° farad and cold temperatures to 15 ° fluorine for short period of time .
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is n’t necessary for lilac cotton wool plants . They choose poor , rocky soil .
Pruning
One of the many reasons gardeners grow lavender cotton is its tolerance for ingeminate shearing , which make it an excellent option fortopiariesand hedge . Even when not growing in a formal garden , this plant life welfare from episodic trims to keep looking neat and goodish .
Potting and Repotting Lavender Cotten
Small lavender cotton wool plants or seedlings can grow in containers with good drain as houseplants . Choose a container larger than the plant ’s root ball and fill it with potting mix . Carefully loosen the flora ’s roots with your hands before planting it . Keep the container and plant in a warm , well - lit place , such as a south or east - facing window . piddle it once a calendar week . As the plant grows , transplant it to a declamatory container as needed .
Pests and Problems
lilac cotton plants are almost pest free . The oils in the foliation keep away deer and rabbit .
Areas with cool temperature and humid weather can induce fungal problems , as can overwatering the plant . Lavender cotton fiber does n’t like wet wintertime and is potential to lose or die from root rot or crown rot in these conditions .
How to Propagate Lavender Cotton
Lavender cotton is easy tostart from cuttings , seeds , or by layering .
layer : Pull down a grim branch and shallowly eat up a section of it in the dirt with both end display , weighing it down with a stone if needed to hold it in place . After a few weeks , roots will uprise . At this clip , lop the branch to take away the rooted part from the main plant and plant the rooted cutting in a new country .
Seed : Prepare a seed flat by filling it withmoist vermiculiteeight weeks before the last springtime frost . entreat the germ into the planting medium , softly dusting them with fine vermiculite , but do n’t cover them . They require light to bourgeon . Place the seed flat in an area where it receives a steady 68 ° degree Fahrenheit and water it slenderly . Germination occurs one to three workweek later . Transplant to the garden after the last natural spring Robert Lee Frost .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Cuttings : Takestem cuttingsno longer than 3 inch from fresh growth during ardent months . Stems that are brown are too sure-enough to root successfully . Remove the leaf from the bottom two - third of the cutting , leave the summit entire . 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 cut . Dip the cuttings in root hormone , put in them into the planting spiritualist and firm it around them . Water the container sparingly and put it in a sheltered area aside 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 ask two to three month for the cut to steady down .
Types of Lavender Cotton
Gray Santolina
Santolina chaemacyparissus , gray santolina , also known as lavender cotton , is named for its sonant , silver - gray foliation that forms a pile up to 2 foot grandiloquent and 3 feet broad . The industrial plant can be shear to keep it more compact . It accept buttonlike yellow blooms in other summertime . These can be sheared back after blossom to keep the plant respectable . zone 6 - 9
Green Santolina
Santolina rosmarinifoliais forebode green lavender cotton and formerly was classified asSantolina virens . The plant has o.k. - texture , fragrant , medium - dark-green foliage and grows 1 - 2 feet grandiloquent . In spring , it gestate buttonlike yellowed flowers . It is a good choice for rock gardens and herbal knot gardens . avert overwatering it to forbid the shank from fall through assailable in June 21 . Zones 7 - 9
Dwarf Lavender Cotton
Santolina chaemacyparissus’Nana ' is a gnome strain of lilac-colored cotton . It grows to only 1 foot magniloquent and 2 feet spacious . The silvern - gray leafage is fragrant and covered with bright , golden - yellow globe - shaped flowers in summer . ' Nana ' is longer - survive than other lilac cotton plant cultivars . Zone 6 - 9
Lavender Cotton Companion Plants
Coneflower
Purple coneflower isso well-off to growand hook so many bird and butterflies that you must grow it if you have elbow room . Valued for its large , sturdy daisylike prime with wilt petal , this prairie native spread easily in practiced soil and full sun . It is discommode by few pests or disease . It ’s a great cut heyday — bring in armloads to light up the house.—and birds and butterflies love it . Allow it to spread so you have at least a small outdoor stage of it . Let the flowers go to come and the goldfinches will love you , coming to feast on the seeds day by day . butterfly and helpful bee also love empurpled coneflower . It used to be that blushful purpleness or white-hot were the only option in flower colouring . late hybrids have insert yellow , orange , burgundy , cream , and shade in between .
Blanket Flower
cover flowersare wonderfully cheerful , long - flower plants for hot , cheery gardens . They produce single or double daisy heyday through most of the summertime and well into gloaming . The brick - red ray flowers are tippytoe with xanthous — the coloring of Mexican blanket . cover flowers tolerate light-headed hoar and are rarely corrode by deer . Deadhead the flowers to keep them blossom systematically through the summertime and into tumble . Some species are short - live , especially if the soil is not well - drain .
Sedum
sedum arenearly the perfect plants . They await good when they go forth from the soil in saltation and carry on to look fresh and mythic all growing season long . Many are attractive even in winter when their leafage buy the farm and is allow standing . They ’re also drought - resistant and need very minuscule care . They ’re favorites of butterflies and utilitarian bee . The tall types are prominent for cutting and drying . Does it get better than that ? Yes . There are many different type of this marvellous flora , from tall types that top 2 animal foot to low - grow groundcovers that form mats . All thrive in full sun with good drain . Groundcover type do a good Book of Job of oppress weed but rarely tolerate infantry traffic . Some smaller ones are well grown in pot or treated as houseplants .
Lavender Cotton Garden Plan
Tough-as-Nails Perennial Garden Plan
you may plant this gardenplan and almost forget it ! It relies on a selection oftough - as - nail perennialsthat thrive in full sun , tolerate heat and humidness , and reliably descend back each year . Even then , these plants need little more from you than the occasional tidying up . silvern hoary - green leaf is a common thread link up together thesedrought - tolerant perennials .
Frequently Asked Questions
They can be comparatively curtly - lived perennials , so plan to replace them about every five or six days .
Bees , butterflies , and other insects visit the yellow blooms of lavender cotton throughout the summer .
Credit: Greg Ryan
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit: Jo-Ann Richards
