Santolina chamaecyparissus aka Grey Santolina

Santolina chamaecyparissus is a small evergreen shrub in the aster family. Gardeners call it lavender cotton or gray santolina. Kew places its native range from Italy to the northwestern Balkans. Garden sources describe a broader range around the Mediterranean. It grows on dry, rocky ground, often over limestone. Its partly woody stems form a low, rounded mound. Garden plants reach about 1–2 feet [0.3–0.61 metres] tall. They spread about 2–3.3 feet [0.6–1 metre] wide.

The crowded leaves give the plant a fine texture. Each narrow leaf divides into small, close-set segments. Gray or white hairs lend the foliage a silver cast. The leaves have a strong scent when crushed. Young branches also carry a thick coat of white hairs. They grow upward or angle out from the mound. The foliage stays on the plant through winter. Older plants may spread apart at the center. NC State gives a useful landscape life of 10–15 years.

Yellow flower heads rise above the leaves on slender stalks. The heads resemble small buttons and lack ray florets. Each head contains many small, tube-shaped flowers. They reach about three-quarters of an inch across. Flowers form on the season's new growth. Oregon State reports June bloom; Missouri Botanical Garden gives July to August. Frequent shearing can keep plants from flowering. NC State identifies the fall fruit as an achene.

Grow lavender cotton in full sun with very good drainage. It suits sandy, gritty, or other well-drained soils. It tolerates poor soil, salt, and drought once established. Give plants regular moisture during their first year. Avoid rich soil, excess fertilizer, and wet ground. Humid weather can encourage fungal disease and loosen the mound. Trim after bloom to keep the plant dense. Sources place it in USDA zones 6–9 and RHS H5. Oregon State gives zone 7 as its lower limit. Cold sites may need shelter and winter mulch.

Use it for low hedges, edging, ground cover, or rock gardens. It also suits pots, herb gardens, and dried flower work. Dried leaves supply scent for sachets and potpourri. PFAF records leaf use to repel moths and flavour food. It also records traditional medicinal uses, rather than proven treatments. Bruised leaves can cause a severe rash on sensitive skin. Pests seldom cause trouble, but blight and root rot can occur. RHS notes possible honey fungus risk, with the degree still unclear.