Limonium sinuatum Forever Rose

Limonium sinuatum 'Forever Rose' is a beautiful selection with light carmine pink flowers of the Statice with sinuous leaves. It is a frost-tender bushy perennial plant grown as an annual, originally from the Mediterranean. It offers panicles of tiny papery-textured flowers that lighten up borders and floral arrangements throughout the summer. Highly regarded in fresh or dried bouquets, they retain their colour for a long time. Annual statice thrives in sunny, well-drained, light soil that is not too dry in summer.

Limonium sinuatum 'Forever Rose' (synonym Statice sinuata), commonly known as Sinuous Saladelle, is derived from a Mediterranean herbaceous plant of the Plumbaginaceae family. This bushy species has an upright and somewhat stiff habit. The 'Forever Rose' cultivar forms flowering clumps 70cm (28in) in height and 30cm (12in) in diameter. The plant develops a dense basal rosette composed of oblong, highly undulate, lanceolate, bright green, deciduous leaves. From July to September, winged flowering stems appear, branched, adorned with a few small leaves, which bear clusters of 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) at their tips, containing tiny flowers whose bracts, with papery texture, are coloured light carmine pink. The flower itself is much more discreet, almost invisible. The flowering is nectariferous. The fruit is a capsule containing a single seed. This plant readily self-seeds in light soil.

Sinuous Statice is undoubtedly one of the easiest flowers to dry, simply by cutting the longest possible stems, hanging them upside down in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. They retain their colours for a long time, which soften slightly. 'Forever Rose' statice also helps to lighten up borders alongside more massive blooms (roses, peonies...). Statice can be combined with pink yarrows and Russian sage, for example.