Santolina chamaecyparissus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santolina chamaecyparissus |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Santolina marchii Arrigoni |
Santolina chamaecyparissus, often called cotton lavender or lavender-cotton, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the family called Asteraceae. This plant naturally grows in the western and central parts of the Mediterranean region.
Contents
What is Cotton Lavender?
Even though it's called "cotton lavender," this plant is not related to either cotton or lavender. Its scientific name, chamaecyparissus, means "like Chamaecyparis" or "ground cypress." However, it's not closely related to cypress trees either.
How Does it Look?
Cotton lavender is a small evergreen shrub. This means it stays green all year round. It usually grows to about 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall and wide. Its leaves are a grey-green color and have a nice smell.
In the summer, this plant grows many yellow, button-shaped flowers. These flowers grow on thin stems that stand above the leaves. The flowers are made up of many tiny tubes, but they don't have the flat petals you might see on other flowers.
Growing Cotton Lavender
Gardeners like to grow cotton lavender because it can cover the ground or make neat edges in a garden. It grows best in a sunny spot with soil that drains water well. Once it's settled, it can handle dry and poor soil.
To keep the plant looking neat and compact, you can trim it back in the spring. There are many different types of cotton lavender that gardeners have created. One small type, called 'Nana', grows to about 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) tall. It has even won an award called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit!
What is it Used For?
Cotton lavender has a few interesting uses. In some beauty products, it is used as a tonic. It can also be used as a fumigant, which means it helps to get rid of pests by producing smoke or vapor.
Photo gallery
-
The grey-green leaves of cotton lavender.
-
A type of cotton lavender called 'Lime Fizz'.
-
Cotton lavender growing in a botanical garden.
