shrub

Minorcan Cotton Lavender

The Story

Plant Bio

Santolina magonica is a small evergreen subshrub from the Balearic Islands, forming a compact flattened cushion with horizontal branching. The foliage is silver-gray and finely divided, aromatic when crushed, and holds through winter.

It forms a denser, lower mound than common lavender cotton, reaching about 16 inches high in flower and 24 inches wide. In summer it carries solitary orange-yellow button heads on long wiry stalks held well above the leaves.

Uses & Benefits:

Dense silver-gray cushion with orange-yellow button flowers for rock, edging, and Mediterranean plantings.

Drought-tolerant once established for hot, dry, nutrient-poor sites with sharp drainage.

Button flowers feed bees and other pollinators in summer.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Shrub

Height

16"

Width

24"

Light

Full Sun

Zones

7, 8, 9

Water

Low

Humidity

Low

Lifespan

Woody perennial

Native To

Balearic Islands

Toxicity

Mildly toxic to dogs

Bloom period

Summer – Late summer

In flower about 3 months of the year

Planting

How to Grow

Plant in full sun in light, rocky, fast-draining soil; dig grit into heavy spots and keep the crown at soil level.
Space plants 24 inches apart to allow the rounded mound to fill without crowding.
Water to settle in, then taper off; once established, give no supplemental summer water except in extreme drought.
Shape lightly in early spring, cutting only into leafy growth, and trim spent flower stalks after bloom.
Top with a thin gravel mulch; keep organic mulch and fertilizer away from the crown.

Pro Tip

Grow it hard in full sun and gravel with no summer water; shearing into bare wood or after buds form skips flowering and splits the cushion.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Give full sun and sharp drainage on a slope or raised bed.
Prune lightly in early spring before buds form to keep the cushion dense.
Deadhead spent button stalks after bloom and shear back by one-third in late summer if loose.

Don't

Do not overwater or plant in clay or low wet soil where roots rot.
Do not cut back into old bare wood; it regrows slowly or not at all.
Do not shear hard late in the season or you will remove next year's flowers.

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Deadhead
Pest Check
Plant
Propagate
Prune

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Rock gardenBorder edgingMediterranean gardenContainer planting

Companion Plants

Lavandula angustifolia Rosmarinus officinalis Thymus vulgaris Sedum acre

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Minorcan Cotton Lavender questions

What zones can Minorcan Cotton Lavender grow in?

Minorcan Cotton Lavender is hardy in USDA Zones 7–9: in that range it survives winter in the ground. Colder than Zone 7, grow it in a container you can move to shelter for the winter. Warmer than Zone 9, winter isn't the problem: it prefers colder winters, and summer heat can shorten its life.

When does Minorcan Cotton Lavender bloom?

Minorcan Cotton Lavender typically blooms in summer. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Minorcan Cotton Lavender need full sun?

Minorcan Cotton Lavender does best in full sun (6+ hours).

Is Minorcan Cotton Lavender drought tolerant?

Yes — once established (usually after the first full season), Minorcan Cotton Lavender handles dry spells with minimal watering. Water deeply its first year to build the root system that makes that possible.