Fundamental Facts
HARDINESS: Frost tolerant
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Adaptable
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Well-drained
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun
ATTRIBUTES: Colorful flowers for beds or cutting gardens
SEASON OF INTEREST: Early summer
FAVORITES: 'Azure' for blue flowers; 'Forever Moonlight' for yellow; 'Pastel Shades' and Soiree and Fortress series for mixed colors; Russian statice for pink
QUIRKS: Seedlings benefit from chilling in spring
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Cosmos, gomphrena, zinnia
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Sun with excellent drainage
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Root rot due to wet soil
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Seeds
DIMENSIONS 12-14 in (30.5-35.6 cm) tall, 15 in (38cm) wide
Statice in the Landscape
Statice, or sea lavender, is a lovely sight at the front of a flower bed or growing in a container with other long-flowering annuals such as cosmos, gomphrena, or zinnias. The stiff, sparsely leaved stems are topped by white, pink, blue, purple, yellow, apricot, or burgundy flowerlike, papery bracts. Within each bract hide tiny true flowers. The showy flowerlike bracts are destined to be cut and harvested often, so you may want to grow some statice in a special cutting garden where you don't mind stripping their beauty on a regular basis.
To take advantage of their long-lasting beauty, use statice flowers in fresh floral arrangements. But if you grow only one flower to hang in clusters to dry in summer and then bring out to redeem a dreary winter day, it should be statice. Stems cut when the bracts are just opened and fully colored, and hung upside down will dry in a few days in any warm room.
Beyond the Blues
The strongest color in statice has traditionally been blue, a relatively rare flower color that is always in demand. For a vigorous plant with classic blue flowers, look for 'Azure', prized for its pure color. If you like variety, newer types show varying shades of blue, cream, yellow, or red. 'Forever Moonlight' bears large creamy yellow to clear yellow flowers on strong, square stems. 'Pastel Shades' is a tempting, 14 in (35.6 cm) tall mixture with several soft colors including fawn, mauve, and apricot. Bolder hues are the strong suit of the Fortress and Soiree series, which produce 18 in (45.7 cm) long stems, which are suitable for cutting and are well clothed with beautiful flower bracts.
Russian statice (Psylliostachys suworowii) has an entirely different look from the sea lavender statice. These spectacular plants have 18 in (45.7 cm) long stems covered with tiny star-shaped pink flowers.
Growing Statice
Bedding plants of statice are a rare find at garden centers, so plan to start seeds indoors 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds in a container of moistened seed-starting soil and cover with an 1 / 8 in (0.5 mm) layer of soil. Place the container in a sunny window and keep the medium constantly moist until the seedlings have several sets of mature leaves. Begin setting the seedlings outdoors to accustom them to the weather, called hardening off. while the weather is cool. Chilling the seedlings outdoors through 35°-50°F (2°-10°C) spring nights actually aids their growth. This is especially important where hot weather arrives soon after winter.
Drainage is all-important. Sandy soil enriched with organic matter is ideal, but heavy clay must be substantially lightened with compost or other organic matter to make it acceptable. Raised beds or pots may be the easiest answer for gardeners with dense clay soil. The plants will bloom best if drenched with a soluble all-purpose plant food, applied as directed, once a month during the growing season.
Statice has very few pest problems, but when the roots are exposed to wet soil for prolonged periods, the plants may contract root rot, causing them to collapse unexpectedly and wither.
Entries (RSS)