Lavender Cotton
Santolina chamaecyparissus (formerly Santolina incana). ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE).
Planting and Growing Lavender Cotton
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow lavender cotton in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of lavender cotton
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for lavender cotton
- Season of bloom and planting time for lavender cotton
- When, how deep, and where to plant lavender cotton
- How to plant lavender cotton
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of lavender cotton
- Landscape and container uses of lavender cotton
- Comments about lavender cotton and its features
Growing Lavender Cotton
Several cultivars of wide, mounding, branching, evergreen perennial shrubs, to 2 ft. (60 cm) tall. Powdery, coarsely textured, silver gray, feathery, lobed, finely cut, fragrant leaves, to 1‑1/4‑in. (32‑mm) long.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Many yellow, round-headed, fragrant flowers, to 3/4‑in. (19‑mm) wide, in summer.
Best Climates
Semi-hardy. Plant as annual, zones 4–6; ground hardy, zones 7–10.
Soil Type and Fertility
Damp, well-drained soil. Fertility: Average–low. 6.5–7.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in full sun, 3 ft. (90 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist until established; drought tolerant thereafter. Fertilize annually in spring. Deadhead spent flowers. Pinch, prune, shear to promote bushy growth. Protect from frost. Propagate by cuttings.
About This Plant
Good choice for banks, borders, edgings, ground covers in arid, coastal, cottage, wildlife gardens. Attracts bees, butterflies. Fire retardant. Deer resistant.