Lavender Cotton

Santolina chamaecyparissus, commonly called lavender cotton or gray santolina, is a small, semi-woody, tender sub-shrub with aromatic, evergreen, silver-gray foliage. It typically grows in a mound to 2' tall spreading to 3' wide. It is native to the Mediterranean area (southern Europe and northern Africa). Pinnately divided leaves have a rough texture and musky fragrance. Button-like, 3/4-inch wide, bright yellow flowers (rays absent) of this aster family member bloom in summer atop stalks rising well above the foliage to 6" tall. Flowers may not appear if plants are regularly trimmed/sheared. Plants are often grown in herb gardens. Foliage has historically been used as an insecticide and moth repellant.