Trichostema lanatum

Identification

Description

Woolly Blue Curls is a three to four foot evergreen shrub with flowers violet in fuzzy spikes in May-Aug and narrow aromatic leaves. Woolly Blue Curls is native to dry slopes, south coast ranges of California. (I've seen it as far north as San Benito.) Trichostema lanatum, Blue Curls, whatever, needs full sun, good drainage, no water after established. Cold tolerant to at 10 deg. with no foliage burn.. It will burn to the ground at -5 F. but recover. More of a problem for many people is its need for perfect, absolutely perfect, SUMMER drainage. If your soil has high organic matter do not try this. Standing water will kill it, areas of much summer rain will kill it, soil amendment will kill it, fertilizer will kill it. If you have a clay soil , plant it so water cannot stand. It is native on sites that range from serpentine clay to gravel with a rainfall from 14-35". On bad years deer browse this plant heavily. For a few years I had a lot of competition from the deer for cuttings off of our mother stock. But for most of you it is deer proof. These plants are native on the Santa Margarita nursery site. The flowers and foliage sell it easily. The flowers are royal blue, fuzzy, 12" clusters and excellent for cut flowers. The foliage is like a wide resinous pine needle. Both the flower and foliage has a sweet fragrance like freshly cut cedar with a bouquet of lavender. Plant in your soil, water well once/week indirectly (first year only), put a rock or boulder next to it and get the vase ready! Mix with Salvia Pozo Blue', Encelia californica, Desert mallow with Salvia Gracias' in the foreground.

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