Cotton lavender

Santolina or lavender cotton is a Mediterranean group of small or medium-sized shrubs that make neat, rounded bushes, with finely divided foliage. They enjoy warm sunny positions, and good drainage is essential. In colder areas, it will need protection in winter. It is worth taking a few cuttings in late summer to overwinter indoors as an insurance policy. S. chamaecyparissus is a choice dwarf species with soft, woolly foliage, silver, white, or grey in the variety 'Lemon Queen', which is denser than the species and a more attractive plant for rock gardens and small beds.