Sea Lavender

Sea Lavender (Statice) - Plants of the Leadwort or Plumbago family, chiefly natives of shore and mountain districts. The larger species require least care when in an open place, while some of them are happy on the rock garden. They are deep-rooting and dislike disturbance, taking some while to regain strength. The best of the larger kinds are S. Limonium, of which there are several varieties; S. latifolia, the finest of all, with wide-spreading flower-stems and a profusion of small purplish-blue flowers; and S. tatarica, a dwarfer species, with distinct red flowers. The smaller species, such as S. minuta, S. minutiflora, S. caspia, S. eximia, are good rock plants. Among the half-hardy annuals and biennials the best are: S. Bonduelli (yellow), a biennial if protected in winter; S. spicata, with spikes of small rosy flowers; Thouini (violet), very free flowering; and sinuata (purple and white), pretty and easy to grow.