Limonium perezzi

The Canary Statice, in Latin Limonium perezzi, is sometimes called sea lavender like other statices that bloom on coastlines. This one, native to the Canary Islands, is a semi-hardy species with an extended and spectacular summer flowering. Its inflorescences are large mauve to violet bouquets punctuated with white, highly visited by butterflies. It forms beautiful more or less evergreen rosettes composed of large thick undulate leaves. This perennial, highly appreciated for making dried bouquets, is very comfortable by the seaside. It also adapts to pot cultivation, allowing it to be sheltered in the veranda in autumn.

Perez's perennial statice belongs to the Plumbaginaceae family. Native to the Canary coasts, this species, widely cultivated for cut flowers, has escaped from gardens to naturalize under certain favorable climates such as California. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a woody rhizome, which has a loose rosette habit of 50 cm (20in) in diameter. When in bloom, this statice reaches approximately 60 cm (24in) in height. Flowering usually begins in July, and it can continue until the end of October if its floral stems are regularly cut. It takes the form of tall branched stems carrying dense inflorescences of 40-45 cm (16-18in) wide, consisting of corymbs where tiny papery-textured flowers are tightly packed. Each flower has mauve to violet sepals surrounding white petals. The plant then transforms into an incredible blue-lavender bouquet. The foliage is more or less evergreen in winter. The leaves are rounded, thick, with undulate edges, carried by a long petiole. Their colour is a fairly dark, glossy green. The statice anchors itself on a rhizome, allowing it to store water and nutrients to survive when the soil is dry or very salty.

Like many statices, Limonium perezii prefers sandy, porous, dry, and well-drained soils and a very sunny exposure. Perfect in a coastal garden, it is a beautiful plant for dry and light soil that has its place in rock gardens, in perennial beds that it lightens, or in a flowering pot. This plant produces floral spikes that make admirable dried bouquets. It will accompany the summer blooms of Anthemis carpatica 'Karpatenschnee', sea thrifts, oreganos, and rosy veil gypsophila for example. It will enhance old roses, the somewhat heavy blooms of oriental poppies, or the candles of acanthus and hybrid mulleins. In a light bed, it can be paired with the 'Canon Went' toadflax, Centaurea pulcherrima, Knautia macedonica, or the majestic Geranium psilostemon.