How to Grow and Care for Statice Flowers

About Growing Statice Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

Statice flowers grow as a wildflower all over the world. Perhaps you are growing statice plants in your garden. Or, it can be found near a stream, or in a field nearby. Statice plants find the perfect home in salty marshes and arid or desert areas. So, it will be no surprise to you that this is one flower that tolerates a drought now and then. It is also called “Sea Lavender”.

Grow them as wildflowers or in containers or window boxes. Statice has airy sprays in strong yellow, rose, lavender, blue and white making an interesting garden accent. Wonderful everlasting, so easy to dry. As a dry cut flower, Statice keeps its color well in winter bouquets.

Did you know? Statice is also classified as an aromatic herb.

Statice Flowers Plant Specifications

Flower Colors: There’s a wide variety of colors and shades. Shades of blue and purple are most common.

Flowers Bloom: Midsummer to Fall.

Plant height: The plant grows twelve to twenty-four inches tall.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 8 – 10

Light Needs: Bright, full sunlight.

Toxic Plant?: Yes.

Deer Resistant? Yes. Deer do not like the strong scent and bitter taste of this plant. So, the plants are not on the menu of deer, rabbits, and other foraging animals.

Number of Species: 120 species.

Plant Type: Annuals and perennials.

Native To: Canary Islands, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean.

Botanical Name: Limonim Sinuatum

Other Names: Sea Lavender

Are Statice Plants Edible?

NO!!

This plant has toxic properties. It causes diarrhea, gastrointestinal distress, nausea, and vomiting.

Consumption of statice plants can also damage your liver.

Also, consumption or medicinal use can cause allergic reactions.

Medicinal Applications for Statice Plants

Despite its toxicity, this plant has a few herbal and home medicinal applications. It includes antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Here are some of the medical uses:

Use it to promote wound healing.
Soothes skin irritation and rashes.
It potentially inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

Important Note: This is a toxic plant. As a result, we strongly recommend you do not use this plant for home medical applications without the proper education on how to properly prepare and use this plant.

Light Requirements

Statice flowers grow best in full sunlight. For the best performance, select a growing location where they will receive at least six to eight hours of bright, direct sunlight.

In hotter regions of the country, grow them in partial sunlight. Look for a location where they will receive morning sunlight and offers shade protection from the hot, afternoon sun.

Important Note: Too little sunlight affects the health and production of flowers. It results in fewer and smaller blooms. Also, in low light levels the plants are more susceptible to plant diseases.

Statice Plant Propagation

Statice is grown from seeds. The seeds can be directly planted into your flower garden after all danger of frost has passed. Statice seeds need light to germinate. First, sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil. Then, cover them ever so lightly with fine garden soil. Lightly water the planting area. Keep the top of the soil moist during the germination period.

Seeds can also be started indoors, 6 – 8 weeks before the last frost in your area.

Garden Tip: For indoor starts, we recommend using a heated germination mat, to increase the speed of germination. And, it, results in a higher germination rate.

Final Plant Spacing: Space or thin plants to 14-18″ apart.

Days to Germination: Seeds sprout in 15 – 20 days.

About Seed Germination

How to Grow Statice Flower Plants

Grown naturally as a wildflower, Statice plants thrive with no care or attention. Similarly, in your flower bed, they need little attention.

Planting and soil needs:

Statice plants like full sun. Select a planting location where they will receive full, direct sunlight all day long.

They grow well in poor to average soils. Mix in plenty of compost at the planting site. After planting them, apply a general-purpose fertilizer. Then, lightly water the planting site. Keep the top of the soil moist, while the seeds germinate.

Fertilizer needs:

Apply a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring. Then, before the blooming period, switch to a fertilizer high in phosphorous. In mid to late summer, apply a general-purpose fertilizer.

Water Needs:

Being a drought-resistant plant, they do not need much water. Most of the year, they will not need any additional water. Allow the soil to dry between watering. Water the Statice flowers during hot and dry weather.

Harvesting Flowers:

The vibrant flower colors brighten up any flower garden or flowerpot. And, Statice flowers will brighten up your home, too. They are great cut flowers. Place them in a vase filled with water and they last for weeks. They are great as dried flowers, too. To dry flowers, remove the leaves and hang them upside down in a dry, ventilated area until they have dried.

How to Grow Statice in Flowerpots and Containers

Bright and cheerful Statice plants look great growing in flowerpots and containers on a sunny balcony or deck. Look for shorter varieties to use in windowsill planters, too.

In addition to normal plant care (above), here’s how to grow Statice flowers in containers:

Select a sunny location on your balcony or deck.
It is important to have a drain hole in the container to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every few days, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
Keep the soil moist to slightly dry. They prefer dry soil. So, allow the top of the soil to dry between watering.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks.

Pruning Statice Flowers

Annual and perennial Statice plants need little or no pruning during the growing season. Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased leaves and stems as soon as you spot them. Also, you can remove an occasional leggy stem to help maintain a neat plant shape.

Deadhead the Statice flowers to encourage more buds to form. If you want to save some of the seeds, as Fall nears allow a few dead flowers to remain on the bush to produce seeds. Then after the seeds have matured and dried, you can harvest some of the seeds to plant in another location next year. Importantly, don’t forget to give some of the seeds to your gardening friends.

Insects and Plant Disease

Insect and disease problems are not too common. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicides.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.

Overwintering Statice Plants

If you are growing annual varieties of Statice, simply pull up the plants after the first killing frost in the Fall. Then, toss the plants into your composter or compost pile.

Overwintering Statice Plants Outdoors

Do not cut the plant back in the Fall. Apply a thick layer of mulch over the root area to protect the roots. Then, in the early spring, rake off the excess mulch. Prune back any winter-damaged growth.

For Overwintering Statice Plants in Containers

If left outdoors in cold northern climates, the roots can freeze and die. So, plan on sheltering the containers from the most brutal winters. Bring the container into a cool garage or shed. Bring the containers back onto your patio or deck in early spring after all danger of frost has passed. Early spring is the time to cut back any growth that has died during the winter months.