PlantFiles: Gray Santolina, Lavender Cotton, Holy Herb, Ground Cypress, Petite Cypress
Santolina chamaecyparissus

This evergreen shrub has fragrant, narrow, and crinkled silvery-grey leaves on mound-shaped plants about two feet high. Soft gray leaves give it its name, cotton lavender, also known as gray santolina. Keep the leaves clipped for formal knot gardens or edging, or let the yellow flowers emerge for extra color in an informal garden.

Like all gray herbs, santolina needs full sun and soil with excellent drainage. In spring, when the new growth emerges, cut off the barren stems and cut back healthy stems a little to encourage bushy new growth. In cold climates, give some extra protection with a mulch.

This plant produces hundreds of small yellow ball-like flowers in the spring, above the foliage. It can get lanky but prunes and shapes easily. Fragrant. Clip flowers after blooming to neaten shrub.

A nice plant, but it is VERY xeric (drought-tolerant) and too much water or rich soil will make the plant start to flop right down the middle as it grows. Since it tends to grow in a perfect circle this is very unattractive when it happens. Because it forms such a symmetrical shape I found it hard to work into the very casual, mixed-bed look I prefer. I've pruned the edges and the center is trying to fill in, but I'm still not very happy with how it looks.

This plant takes a licking and keeps ticking in North Texas, but NOT in full sun. In Texas, we grow this wonderful plant in part to full shade, AND it likes lots of water! It is beautiful from the end of March through Easter and the honey bees just love it! So, I would advise to grow it near something that needs pollinating!

Cindy near Dallas

I've had terrific success with this plant in several gardens on our property. It thrives by the fish pond receiving full sun and plenty of moisture. It is smothered with small, very attractive, bright yellow "ball" flowers. It receives periodic trimmings: early spring, after flowering, late summer. This seems to keep it in a nice, rounded shape preventing it from "splitting" down the middle. The foliage is light & feathery, with silvery tones. This has been a great landscaping choice!

Not many plants are happy living in a concrete pot on a concrete driveway next to a brick wall between two steel garage doors during 90-100+ degrees fahrenheit summers and frequent dry spells. It tolerates neglect in the winter, plus the silvery color contrasts nicely with an equally forgiving purslane plant that re-seeds in the spring. Scrawny plant was purchased at a local garden center in July 2001.

Great when used as ground cover here in south texas, fairly tough plant, aromatic with a dash of yellow coloring. I've had great success with this plant.

Santolina is also useful in "mosaiculture" and contrasts well with the coppery foliage of Alternanthera.
I have also used it successfully in mass plantings.
The smell of its foliage on a hot summer's day when it is being watered is heavenly.

A friend found this for me last year. It stayed green all winter in the greenhouse. Supposedly, this deters aphids and white flies, is best looking if trimmed to one foot, and is used for potpourri.

Seems grey santolina (S. chamacyparissus) is the most drought-tolerant of all the santolinas. I used it in central NM and found it thrives and prefers lots of sun and very little watering. As a matter of fact, I lost a couple of them by overwatering. It does appreciate mixed soil with good drainage.

This is a beautiful plant which provides a nice backdrop in the informal garden with its mounding habit and pretty yellow buttons on spikes! Great smell, too! Used against river rock and other hardscape, is striking!

Am looking for an appropriate santolina for central FL (zone 9); perhaps s. incana; where it can tolerate higher humidity, yet still looks good in a xeri garden.

A very tough, drought tolerant perennial plant. Loves full sun. They can tolerate poor soil and salt as well as drought. Propagate by layering or cuttings on summer. pokerboy.

Blooms August-September. Likes full sun. Soil should be average, well drained. Does not do well with wet feet. Leaves can be used in flavoring sauces, dried in Pot-pourri, oil is used in perfumes. It is a medicinal herb. Is also used to moth proof linens and wools. Seeds sown Spring & Fall in cold frame.

Pretty silvery light color evergreen adds nice contrast to the dark green leaves of rosemary. Great plant to keep a garden looking alive in a Texas winter!