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Cotton Lavendar

Santolina etrusca (san-to-lLEE-nah ee-TRUSS-kah)

Family: Asteraceae Unknown Groundcover

Italian cotton lavender is an evergreen sub-shrub native to Italy in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. Its native habitat includes nutrient poor grasslands and roadsides. Grows best in full sun in a somewhat sheltered location. Unlike the majority of plants, it will be at its best in poor, fine soil. It's not tolerant of clay based locations. Makes an excellent choice for borders, edging, dry locations and containers. A low maintenance specimen only needs a light trim in the fall after flowering has completed. Once established, they can be cut back in the spring. Makes an attractive, low hedge. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Generally disease and insect free.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 49 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Herb; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf value
Fragrant; Showy
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Feathery, attractive, fragrant gray-green foliage.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Dome
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Pale creamy-white flowers bloom in mid-summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Italy
Wildlife value
Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Buffer; Easy to Grow; Fragrance
Food & Medicine

Edibility

Can be used as culinary herb.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#evergreen shrub #subshrub #evergreen #showy leaves #pollinator plant #small shrub #groundcover #fragrant leaves #culinary #drought tolerant #medicinal #container plant #clay soils intolerant #deer resistant #herb garden
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer; Drought
Propagation
Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.