Santolina chamaecyparissus, cotton lavender
Family: Asteraceae
Description:
Slightly disorganized mounds of gray foliage sport a profusion of yellow composite flowers. The characteristic disk-shaped flowers do not have any rays and are irregular in size. This evergreen sub-shrub remains relatively low to the ground, not exceeding 50 cm. Foliage is aromatic
Growing conditions:
Santolina chamaecyparissus is best grown in dry, well-drained soil in a sunny location.
Suitable uses:
This mounding shrub is useful as an evergreen ground layer. Planting on a slope can both aid with drainage and prevent the mounding form from splitting. Planted with other mounding shrubs, such as hebes, can provide a nice formal echo. Alternatively, Santolina chamaecyparissus can be used for hedging, though this will inhibit summer floral displays.
CC Image courtesy jimmy thomas on Flickr
CC Image courtesy of Andrey Zharkikh on Flickr