California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

Santolina chamaecyparissus - Lavender Cotton

Santolina chamaecyparissus is useful for so many gardens. The Gray Santolina can be trimmed as a small hedge, and was often used in the knot gardens of the 18th century. Santolina chamaecyparissus can also be allowed to grow and spill, adding its natural style to the drought tolerant garden. The yellow flowers are great while Santolina chamaecyparissus is blooming in the late Spring but as they dry they become rather unsightly and take a fair amount of time to trim off. Santolina chamaecyparissus grows to a foot tall and 3 feet wide. Plants have been quite hardy in our gardens, withstanding temperatures in the low teens and not noticing. Plant in the full sun. This Lavender Cotton has a Fiery Skipper atop a flower. Santolina chamaecyparissus is a great plant for attracting the Painted Lady, Gray Hairstreak, Mournful Duskywing Butterflies.. You might just add this plant to your butterfly garden

Santolina chamaecyparissus with Skipper

A skipper feeds on the nectar of Santolina chamaecyparissus - Lavender Cotton. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

Santolina chamaecyparissus, Lavender Cotton

Yellow Spring flowers of Santolina chamaecyparissus - Lavender Cotton.