woman with a flower
Sea lavender, or statice, is a large group of plants in the genus Limonium, all with spiky flowers and simple or lobed leaves. Representatives of this family can be found growing throughout the world in sizes ranging from a foot (30 centimeters) tall to large bushes. In general, statice thrives in sandy soils and is also tolerant of marshes, so it is often found on coastlines, islands, and other locations that are too harsh for most plants to thrive. For this reason, it is widely grown in some regions to provide accent colors as well as fodder for bouquets.
English Statice, in particular, is often considered the quintessential dried flower. As the flowers bloom, they have a delicate papery outer layer and a soft set of inner petals. The inner petals fall off, leaving the outer petals behind, and often dry naturally on the stem. People who work with dried flowers tend to grow this flower because it is relatively easy to care for and the flowers dry very well. When a spray of statice is ready to dry, it should be cut off with a lot of stem and hung upside down to dry.
Gardens on uneven ground can also benefit from these flowers, which add rich blocks of color like purple, pink, red, white, and sometimes orange. A small group of static plants can be planted for a splash of colour, or larger bushes can be selected for rich blocks of colour. As this flower prefers less than ideal soil conditions, gardeners with rich, healthy, dense soil should add sand to make the soil loamy and coarse. Different varieties can be found in almost all climatic conditions, from the heat of the tropics to the cold of northern Europe, so check with your garden supply when selecting plants.
Most gardeners find it easier to plant static seedlings grown in a commercial greenhouse. Plants should be installed after the last frost in sandy, slightly alkaline soil with excellent drainage. This plant likes to stay slightly dry and also prefers full sun. Add compost or a slow-release fertilizer to the soil to nourish the plants as they grow, and cut back flowers periodically to encourage more blooms. At the end of the season, annual varieties should be uprooted, while perennials should be pruned back to the ground so they don’t freeze.