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Woolly Bluecurls
Trichostema lanatum
  
About Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) 59 Nurseries Carry This Plant Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) is named for its curled, fuzzy flowers that bloom in brilliant shades of blue and lavender. These striking flowers bloom in dense clusters on branching stems from fall to spring. A favorite of hummingbirds, the flowers also attract bees, butterflies, and other insects.

This shrub is a member of the Mint family. Its narrow, bright green leaves have a pleasant, minty fragrance. It can quickly grow to an impressive size in the first year, although as a fire-following plant, it does have a short lifespan (around 4 to 5 years).

In the garden, this plant requires specific growing conditions to do well. A young Woolly Bluecurls plant needs regular watering after planting. Once it's established, however, overwatering ? even occasional summer water ? can damage or kill them. Plant in full or part sun in light, well-draining soil. It does well in rocky areas and does not like mulch. Although short-lived, the showy blooms make this plant a stunning addition to a low-water pollinator garden.
Schmidt, M.G, Greenberg, K.L. (2012). Growing California Native Plants (2nd ed.). University of California Press, Bornstein, C., Fross, D., O’Brien, B. (2005). California Native Plants for the Garden. Cachuma Press.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
5 ft tall
10 ft wide

Form
Form
Fountain

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Lavender, Pink

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Fall, Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds, insects

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed , 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low, Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Often but not always found on eroded gabbro or sandstone soils. Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.5

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: 2 months stratification (Hildreth and Johnson 1976); 3 months stratification at 32°F using old stored seeds (Mirov 1945). Difficult. Easily propagated from stem cuttings.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
10, 14, 15*, 16*, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Chaparral vegetation on well-drained mesas, rocky canyon slopes, primarily from Monterey County to San Diego County and extending into Baja California, Mexico. Occasionally found in coastal sage scrub and semi-riparian areas.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 10.7" - 49.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.63", Coldest Month: 37.6" - 56.2", Hottest Month: 60.1" - 79.3", Humidity: 0.59" - 27.56", Elevation: 5" - 6306"


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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