Santolina chamaecyparissus

ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’

SANTA COTTON LAVENDER

Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’

SANTA COTTON LAVENDER

Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ is tough; hardy; easy to grow; useful; smells great; and is just downright pretty.
So unless you live in a bog, there is no excuse not to grow it.

Pretty & aromatic small silver shrub

Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ is commonly called Cotton Lavender – because the wooly-grey foliage looks as soft and silver as cotton bolls, and smells so freshly aromatic.
‘Santa’ is a recently selected, very compact, low growing and attractive cultivar of the good old Cotton Lavender.

Glowing little silver ghost in the garden

Santa Cotton Lavender foliage glows with ghostly silver, and creates such wonderful colour and textural contrast in the garden (or in a pot).

Ideal for clipping into formal shapes, low hedges or decorative pots.

The compact, dense little shrubs are also ideal for clipping into formal shapes, low hedges or decorative borders.
They take the shears (even savage shearing) very happily.
So Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ has long been a favourite for creating knot parterres or insect repelling hedges in veggie gardens.

Showy summer flowers

But the flowers are also very showy, with soft butter-yellow buttons covering the bush during summer.
And displaying so very prettily against the fine silver foliage.
Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ is a little beauty, and just the right size for even smaller gardens.
It is a ripper in a pot.

Scented foliage

While the aroma of sun-drenched Santolina is one of the delights of summer.
It has such a fresh, spicy and herby scent.

Traditional insect repelling & useful herb

So the fresh or dried leaves and stems are favourites for making moth repelling sachets, warding off insects, treating insect bites, and creating refreshingly scented pot-pourris.
More recently Santolina foliage has also become fashionable as a cooking herb to give a hint of olive flavour, and is a very popular additional to BBQ lamb.

Tough and easy to grow (unless you live in a bog)

Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ basks in sun, heat, dry and poor soil.
It is particularly drought and heat hardy, and in fact deeply resents waterlogging or generous feed and watering.

Super water-wise mini shrub

So it has long been used in gardens with limited water; seaside gardens; windy places and areas with sandy or poor soils.

Bullet-proof plant

Santa Cotton Lavender is also toughly frost hardy, and confidently able to shrug off hard frosts to well below -10C (once established of course and depending on conditions).
So it has long been renowned as a bullet-proof plant.

Untroubled by pests & diseases – including rabbits and deer

Nothing seems to trouble Santolina, providing it is given very well drained soil and plenty of sun and air.
Rabbits and deer also find the aromatic oils in the plant unpalatable and tend to leave it well alone.

Perfect in a pot or as a hedge

Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa has long had a reputation as an insect repelling and useful companion plant.
So it is traditionally used in pots near the back door or the BBQ, and clipped into low hedges in the veggie and flower gardens.
It takes the shears extremely well, and looks great clipped into balls, topiary shapes or hedges.

Low care & easy maintenance

Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ can usually be just left to get on with it unless you wish to hedge / topiary it.
However a severe haircut after blooming will shape it up for the following season and prevent it from flopping.

Evergreen small shrub.
Approx. 25cm High in flower – 25cm. Wide of aromatic foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suits beginners & gardening with kids

Sow seeds for Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. tomentosa ‘Santa’ any time indoors in punnets / or scatter directly in garden in autumn and spring.

Sow indoors for early plants: First sow the seeds in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.

Then gently pat the surface of the mix to ensure the seeds have good contact with the mix.
And barely cover the seeds with a thin scattering of sieved mix or vermiculite.
Because these seeds need light to germinate.

Now thoroughly moisten the mix by standing the sown punnet in a shallow water bath and allowing the water to percolate through below, until the surface is moist.

Place the punnet in a warm, well lit position (not in any direct sunlight).

Seeds enjoy warmth

Temperatures of 18-21C are ideal for rapid and optimum germination.
You can use a heat mat to maintain temperature if you have one, but it is not essential.
A sheltered window sill or warm corner is fine.

Then continue to keep consistently moist by misting from a spray water bottle as required, but not waterlogged.
Covering the punnet with a clear plastic cover will help maintain consistent moisture and prevent drying out.
Remove the cover as soon as sprouting commences, as these seedlings prefer to be a little drier than usual seedlings without too much humidity.

Seedlings may begin emerging as soon as 10 days, but normally 14-28 days.
But patience – do not be too hasty to discard the punnet, as it is normal for these seeds to stagger germination. This is a natural protective trick for the plant to give the baby offspring a sporting chance of sprouting into favourable conditions.

Seed count: 50 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the seed count and give a generous serve).

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