Looks like no one has cutting flowers on their mind this week. :-) I don't have the answer to your question, but I did want to ask you how you liked growing Limonium and if you use it for arrangements either fresh or dried? I was thinking of trying some of it next year in a mixed perennial border.

Hi Prairiemoon2,

I've found Limonium to be pretty easy to grow from seed. (I got my seeds from Johnny's select seeds, annual Limonium sinuatum - Pacific Mix & Sunset Mix) They do take a while to grow so you'll want to start the seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost. The plants didn't seem to be too fussy. The only trouble I had wast that sometimes the stems would flop over and then the flowers at the end of the stems would turn upwards and end up at a bad angle for use as cut flowers. They work great both fresh and dried and look about the same either way.

The perennial version is nice too but is only available in a few colors white, purple, or pink. The perennial version also has tinier flowers than the annual version. I like them both for cutting. I have the purple perennial statice and I hope to aquire the white next season and I think I'll try to propagate more of the purple from seeds I saved. I'll plant more annual statice again next season too.

There isn't much of a plant though so it's not so good at competing with weeds. It grows in the form of a rosette and looks similar to a dandelion plant. Make sure to mulch them, especially when young. I've read that large commercial growers use sheet plastic to deal with this problem.

By the way, my plants usually get somewhat bigger and have many more stems than the specimen shown in the link below, but it is a good example of the rosette form.

- Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Limonium sinuatum - example of leaf rosette

Steve, Thanks for that great information. I just went to Johnny's Seeds to check them out. They look really interesting. I would use them in a vase and might get around to drying them, but, mainly I wanted something to add to a perennial bed that would bloom all season and look good. The photos look good. I'll keep in mind about the mulching. I mulch a lot, so that won't be a big deal for me.

Thanks....!

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnny's Seeds Limonium

Steve, annual statice does not overwinter, I had the same enthusiastic idea for mine a couple of years ago but they croaked before the end of winter. Still, as you know they are easy and willing to grow each year. I am growing Sea Lavender, perennial, and loving it but it is only in that lovely soft lavender color. Great filler. Kat

Hi Kat, thanks for adding your experiences to this post. I too am growing the purple perennial statice and I saved seeds in order to grow more this spring. I've also learned that there is a white perennial statice and I've added that too my list of new plants to try next season. It seems to be list under several different classifications:

Limonium dumosum
Synonym:Goniolimon tataricum
Synonym:Statice dumosa

GeoSeeds has it listed as: Limonium tatarica and they have a select cultivar called 'Woodcreek.' I thought I'd give that a try. Is there anyone who can comment on this species?

- Steve