Green Lavender Cotton Santolina virens
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Green Lavender Cotton:
- Phonetic Spelling
- san-toh-LEE-nah VEER-enz
- Description
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Green Santolina is a flowering, evergreen shrub in the daisy family and native to Europe. The plant has fragrant leaves, yellow flowers, and a compact, rounded, mounding habit where the mounds open and become floppy after flowering.
Green Santolina does best with consistent moisture in alkaline, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun, but it will tolerate drought once roots are established. It prefers poor dry soils to rich or wet soils. Sandy soils that drain well are best.
Deadhead spent flowers as soon as they fade. Flowers may not appear if plants are regularly trimmed/sheared. The plant can also be cut back in spring to maintain a compact shape and encourage new growth. This plant may be grown as an annual.
Plants are often grown in herb and rock gardens. The foliage has historically been used as an insecticide and moth repellent.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
Humid weather tends to promote fungal diseases. Blight and root rot can occur.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Santolina
- Species:
- virens
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Spain east to Ukraine and the Caucasas.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Mounding
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Button-shaped yellow flower heads blossom in summer atop stalks rising well above the foliage.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Pinnately divided leaves have a rough texture and musky fragrance.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Rock Wall
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Poor Soil
- Rabbits
