Limonium pereziiCanary Island Sea Lavender

The Limonium perezii, commonly known as the Canary Island Sea Lavender or Statice, is a clump-forming coastal perennial from the Canary Islands. Large, leathery, dark green paddle-shaped leaves form a basal rosette, above which broad flat sprays of deep violet-purple papery bracts are held on branched stems through much of the year.

The flower colour is unusually strong and unusually long-lasting, since the papery bracts persist long after the true flowers have gone. It is used for coastal bed planting, low colour mass, median beds and pedestrian-scale planting.

Specifications

• Height0.4 to 0.6 metres including flower stems
• Width0.4 to 0.6 metres
• Native toThe Canary Islands, on coastal cliffs and sandy ground
• FoliageLarge, leathery, dark green paddle-shaped leaves in a basal rosette; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers well-drained sandy or gravelly soils; tolerates poor, alkaline and coastal sands and dislikes waterlogging
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in Mediterranean, arid and coastal regions; tolerates only light frost

Additional Features

• FlowersBroad flat sprays of deep violet-purple papery bracts on branched stems, held over a very long season
• UsesCoastal bed planting, low colour mass, median and roundabout beds, pedestrian-scale planting and containers
• SpacingPlant 0.4 to 0.5 metres apart for a continuous colour mass
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent flower stems to prolong display; divide clumps every few years
• Pest ResistanceFree of significant pest and disease problems where drainage is good
• Drought ToleranceGood once established, holding foliage through dry heat with modest irrigation
• Salt ToleranceHigh, growing naturally on exposed coastal cliffs within reach of salt spray
• Seasonal AppealThe papery bracts hold their colour for months and persist well after the true flowers have passed

The Canary Island Sea Lavender holds strong violet colour for longer than almost anything else in a coastal bed.