Newsletter Articles
Sea Lavender (Limonium): Care, Benefits, and Tips
By Richard Flowers, ACCNP, Green Thumb Nursery Ventura
Sea lavender (Limonium perezii) is a tough, salt-tolerant coastal perennial grown for its airy sprays of tiny purple and white flowers, which dry beautifully as long-lasting “everlasting” blooms. Despite the name, it is not related to true lavender. It thrives in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil, needs little water once established, and blooms nearly year-round in Southern California, though it should be planted responsibly away from natural coastal areas.
Quick answer: Sea lavender is Limonium, an ornamental in the leadwort family (not true lavender). Give it full sun, well-drained or sandy soil, and only occasional water once established; it tolerates salt and heat and makes an excellent fresh or dried cut flower. Just avoid planting it next to natural coastal habitat, where it can naturalize, and never plant the invasive Algerian sea lavender.
I remember picking the papery dried flowers from my mother’s sea lavender bed when I was young, snipping the stalks as low as I could and setting the everlasting purple blooms in a vase on a sunny kitchen windowsill, where they held their color for weeks. Decades later I still grow it in my own Ventura garden, and it remains one of the most carefree, rewarding plants I recommend for a sunny Southern California yard.
What Is Sea Lavender?
Sea lavender is Limonium perezii, a woody evergreen perennial in the leadwort family (Plumbaginaceae). The University of California Master Gardeners put it plainly: despite the common name, sea lavender “has nothing at all to do with lavender.”[1] It is also sold as “statice” or “seafoam statice,” and is grown for its branched sprays of small, papery flowers in vivid purple-blue with white highlights. The showy part that holds its color is actually the calyx, which is why the blooms are prized as an “everlasting” flower that keeps its shape and color when dried.[1]
Sea Lavender Plant Care
Sea lavender is about as low-maintenance as a flowering perennial gets, as long as you give it sun and good drainage.
| Need | Sea lavender (Limonium perezii) |
|---|---|
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil | Well-drained; thrives in sandy, poor soil |
| Water | Drought tolerant once established; occasional summer water |
| Size | About 2 to 3 feet tall and wide |
| Hardiness | Tender to frost; hardy to about 25 to 30 degrees F |
| Bloom | Nearly year-round, heaviest in summer |
Plant it in full sun in well-drained soil and water only occasionally in summer; it tolerates salt spray and heat, which makes it an excellent choice for seaside and dry gardens alike.[2] It does not tolerate hard frost, so in colder inland spots give it a protected location.[1] Maintenance is minimal: simply cut away the spent flower stalks. If you garden near the beach, see our tips for coastal Southern California gardens, and for more low-water ideas, our guide to drought-tolerant plants.
Benefits and Uses
Sea lavender earns its place in the garden several ways. Its biggest draw is as a cut flower: it works beautifully both fresh and dried, and because it is an “everlasting,” the dried stems hold their color for months in arrangements.[2] It blooms nearly all year in our mild climate, and the flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, adding motion and life to a sunny bed.[1] It is also deer resistant, a welcome trait in many SoCal neighborhoods.[1] Its salt and drought tolerance also make it a practical choice for tough, sandy coastal spots. For more plants that bring in pollinators, see our guide to plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Is Sea Lavender Invasive in California?
This is where sea lavender needs an honest word of caution for Southern California gardeners. There are two different concerns. First, never plant Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum), a close relative that has escaped gardens and become an invasive weed in California salt marshes, where it crowds native plants; the California Invasive Plant Council rates it a problem and runs active control projects against it.[3][4] Second, even the popular Limonium perezii is on California’s invasive-plant Watch List because it can naturalize along the coast, so the guidance is simple: do not plant it in areas next to natural coastal habitat, bluffs, estuaries, or salt marshes where it could spread.[5] In an ordinary inland or suburban garden it is well behaved; near wild coastal areas, ask our staff about a California-native alternative. Good news for pet owners: Limonium (statice) is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats and dogs.[6]
Want to add this easygoing coastal bloomer to your garden? You can find Perez’s sea lavender and plenty of other sun-loving perennials at any Green Thumb Nursery location, where our team can help you plant it responsibly.
Sea Lavender FAQ
What is sea lavender?
Sea lavender is Limonium perezii, an ornamental perennial in the leadwort family grown for airy sprays of papery purple-and-white flowers. It is also called statice and is not related to true lavender.[1]
How do you care for sea lavender?
Grow it in full sun and well-drained or sandy soil, water only occasionally once it is established, and remove spent flower stalks. It tolerates salt and heat but not hard frost.[2]
Is sea lavender the same as lavender?
No. Despite the name, sea lavender (Limonium) is in the leadwort family and has nothing to do with true lavender (Lavandula). They are different plants with different growing needs.[1]
Can you dry sea lavender?
Yes, that is one of its best features. Sea lavender is an “everlasting” flower whose colorful calyx holds its shape and color when dried, so it is a favorite for long-lasting dried arrangements.[1]
Is sea lavender invasive?
Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum) is genuinely invasive in California salt marshes and should never be planted.[3] The common garden sea lavender (Limonium perezii) is on the state’s Watch List and should not be planted next to natural coastal areas where it can naturalize.[5]
Sources
- [1] UC ANR Master Gardeners, Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii): ucanr.edu
- [2] San Marcos Growers, Limonium perezii: smgrowers.com
- [3] California Invasive Plant Council, Limonium ramosissimum assessment: cal-ipc.org
- [4] California Invasive Plant Council, SF Bay Sea Lavender control project: cal-ipc.org
- [5] PlantRight, Limonium perezii (Watch List): plantright.org
- [6] ASPCA, Non-Toxic Flowers and Plants (statice / Limonium): aspca.org
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