USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Herb/Sub-Shrub
Height at Maturity: 12-16" foliage; 18-24" in flower
Width at Maturity: 24-36"
Spacing: 2' for solid groundcover or border, 5'+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Rounded, Spreading, Mound
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Flower Color: Golden Yellow
Flower Size: Small, .5-.75"
Flowering Period: Early or Mid Summer through Late Summer
Flower Type: Rounded values
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Gray
Fragrant Foliage: Yes
Berries: No
Berry Color: No
Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun; minimum of 6 hours of direct sun per day
Water Needs: Average, Very low when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Rocky, Sandy, Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well-Drained to Dry when established
Soil pH: 6.0 - 8.0 (Moderately Acid to Slightly Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Low to Average
Attracts: Beneficial Pollinators, Sensory Appeal, Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Insect, Rabbit, Poor Soil, Rocky Soil
Easy to grow in poor and dry soils, Gray Santolina, also called Lavender Cotton, is an aromatic evergreen perennial herb that forms a spreading mound of fragrant silvery gray foliage similar in appearance to lavender plants, which adds a fine texture to the garden. In summer, abundant and showy pompom-shaped golden yellow flowers rise on thin stems above the foliage. At 12 to 18 inches tall and spreading 2 to 3 feet wide, it serves as a fine accent in small sunny garden spaces or grouped or massed as a groundcover in well-drained garden beds or on slopes. It is exceptionally drought tolerant when established, making it an ideal choice for the Xeriscape in hot, dry climates. Well-drained soil is a must! You might be happy to know that deer, rabbits, and other critters turn their nose up to this one.
The dried leaves of Santolina can be used in sachets and potpourris, and the extracted oils were once used in perfumes. The foliage was also used as an insecticide. It can also be used medicinally on insect bites as pain relief.
Landscape Uses
Growing 1.5 to 2 feet tall in flower and 2 to 3 feet wide, Gray Santolina is ideal for use as a colorful and textural accent in small garden spaces or in groupings or massed as a groundcover where space allows. It is a natural choice for the herb garden and a fine addition to coastal gardens, rock gardens, cottage gardens, fragrance gardens, yellow theme gardens, and the Xeriscape (low water needs.
Growing Preferences
Gray Santolina is easy to grow in most well-drained soils with poor to average fertility, including rocky soils, and full to mostly sun. For best performance, we suggest at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily, and well-drained soil is a must! It can be pruned as desired for shaping and fuller plants.
