Green santolina + cvs

Santolina pinnata

Description

The green lavender cotton small mounding shrub to 2 1/2 ft. high and as wide. Dense foliage is comprised of pinnately divided leaves with a waxy covering that produces a pale green appearance. Creamy-white flowers occur in spring for an attractive display.

Native to Italy, this species is similar to other lavender cottons that grow well in full sun, on well-drained soils and with low amounts of supplemental water. It is good for rock gardens, borders and mixed with other Mediterranean shrubs and perennials. It become leggy after several years of growth and can be trimmed to maintain good size and character.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Mounding, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Pale green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: All day sun, Wind, Heat, Drought, Cold hardy, Aridity
Function: Grouped, Foliage accent plant, Flowering accent plant, Commercial spaces, Borders, Banks, Background plant, Small spaces, Rock gardens, Residential spaces, Raised planters
Height: 30 in.
Width: 30 in.

Watering Schedule: Low 2

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 2 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another two weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
To save water, in many cases you can go longer in between waterings during the winter, often up to 3-4 weeks between watering for well-established plants. Two weeks after watering, check the soil approximately 4” below the surface. If it is still significantly moist, you can wait longer before watering again.
In most cases, if you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, you may use these features to save some water in in the fall and winter. If you are using automatic weather adjusting functions, continue to allow the timer to run every two weeks. It will adjust the number of minutes it runs to account for the cooler weather.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Prune annually in late winter or very early spring before flower buds develop (D). Pruning of multiple plants is easiest done with a manual hedge shear, while just a plant or two can be done with pruners. Prune to remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the average stem length of the leafy part of the stems, forming a compact mound shape. New invigorated growth will rapidly emerge. This annual hard cut back will keep the plant looking good and living longer. Santolinas that do not get this annual maintenance often get woody and decline in a few years after planting (S). Leggy mature plants can be cut back to a few inches tall just before spring growth begins to try to reset the form (5). They will usually grow back, but may not, so it is best to stay on top of more frequent annual pruning (S). References