How to Protect Sea-Lavender

Overview

Sea lavenders, known botanically as limonium, are a genus of flowering perennial plants belonging to the leadwort family. In keeping with their name, sea lavenders are tolerant of salty air and soil. They produce feathery flowers in lavender and white on very thin arching stems in the summer and fall. Sea lavender is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and prefers full sun to partial shade exposure. It is most commonly used in beds, naturalized borders and cultivated for cut and dried flower arrangements.

Step 1

Water your sea lavender deeply several times in the fall to bolster the plant against winter drought conditions. Allow the surface soil to dry out between waterings, but keep the soil at least lightly moist at all times when feeling an inch down into the soil. Continue feeding your sea lavender once a month throughout the fall and winter according to the dosing directions on the fertilizer product label.

Step 2

Harvest sea lavender flowers in the summer and fall for use in fresh or dried arrangements. In the fall, after the first frost, cut back faded flowers and any damaged or dead stems down to the crown of the plant. Discard the cuttings in the compost bin. Repeat the pruning process in the spring to remove any damaged portions of the plant that do not survive the winter.

Step 3

Mulch around the base of your sea lavender with shredded bark, compost or cocoa bean hulls to insulate the roots from cool temperatures and drought. Lay down the mulch in the fall after pruning away any dead foliage and watering. Create a blanket of mulch from the crown of the plant out to 6 inches beyond the drip line for optimal protection.