Lavender Cotton

Are you looking for an interesting groundcover that requires reletively little care and yet provides good coverage and a great look? Great! Time then to head out to your local nursery to find Lavender Cotton Santolina chamaecyparissu.

This a a very hardy small shrub that is usually grown as a groundcover that is easy to grow and care for. It will easily take the low temps of the desert and will take direct sun and irradiated heat. An evergreen by nature the plant is usually grown as a short lived perennial because, over a few seasons, Lavender Cotton can begin to look a little ragged. This ragged look usually stems from the plant not being properly cared for.

Maintenance is really easy. Lavender Cotton should be sheared every fall after the last blooms have faded in preparation for the next years growth. This shearing helps to promote new growth and it is this new growth that helps keep the plant from looking ragged and overly mounded. Without this shearing the plant will begin begin to look sparse and fairly ratty over time. This is not a good look for the garden so a little preventive maintenance in the fall will help ensure an attractive plant in the spring. Fertilize with a well balanced fertilizer right after shearing. This is really the only maintenance the plant requires but it is maintenance that is well worth the effort.

Native to the Mediterranean region of Spain and Northern Morocco this plant has aromatic, silver-gray green foliage combined with single yellow button-type flowers that bloom on tall stalks during the late spring, summer and even the fall. These flowers provide great texture in the garden in that they tend to dance with the late afternoon desert winds. Along the coast Lavender Cotton survives very well with little or no supplemental water. However in inland planting Lavender Cotton does best with regular water. Lavender Cotton isn't overly fussy about soil type but it does perform best in well drained soil.

The plant works well in direct sun and can take reflected heat but ideally will perform best with some afternoon shade. Keep this in mind when considering the location you plan on placing the plant. For the most part Lavender Cotton is an attractive and easy plant to grow and maintain that is generally drought tolerant. It works really good in rock gardens and naturalistic landscapes where good coverage is desired. All in all Lavender Cotton is a plant that won't disappoint and works well in many different applications.