Trichostema lanatum
( try - koh - STEM - uh lah - NAY - tum )
At-A-Glance Information
This species of flowering evergreen subshrub, commonly called Wooly Blue Curls, is native to the California Coast Ranges, and needs full sun and no irrigation, making it a wonderful choice for water-wise gardeners. These shrubs contribute to the local ecosystem by attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. It reaches 3-5 feet tall and 4-8 feet wide, with narrow leaves that are aromatic and smell of cedar when bruised or crushed. Leaves are shiny and dark green above, wooly and white underneath. Flowers are blue with long stamens, and both stems and flowers are covered with pink, blue, or white wool. Bloom is most profuse in springtime, but continues into summer and fall if deadheaded regularly. The genus Trichostema is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae, and includes about 20 species. Wooly Blue Curls does best in zones 14-24 (to find your zone, click here: Zone Map).
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Caring for and pruning Trichostema lanatum shrubs
These shrubs thrive in full sun conditions; plant in a location where it will receive at least six hours of direct sun per day. Ensure that soil is well-draining; this is crucial to prevent waterlogged conditions that will weaken the plant and make it susceptible to diseases and pests to take hold. These shrubs are drought-tolerant at maturity and only will need supplemental waterings every so often. Allow soil to dry out before watering, and then water deeply. After planting, apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plant to increase soil moisture retention and suppress weed growth. Take care to not let the mulch touch the stem of the plant. These plants are adapted to nutrient-poor soil and do not require fertilizing.
Wooly Bluecurls does not need much in the way of pruning, though spent flowers can be removed from the plant as they appear. This will encourage the plant to push out more flowers. A light pruning after the flowering period can be completed to encourage a bushier habit. These shrubs, although generally hardy, can suffer damage if temperatures drop too low for too long a period of time. Mulching around the base of the plant can help insulate the root system, and in extremely cold-winter areas, more protection can be provided through the use of frost cloth.
Wooly Bluecurls does not need much in the way of pruning, though spent flowers can be removed from the plant as they appear. This will encourage the plant to push out more flowers. A light pruning after the flowering period can be completed to encourage a bushier habit. These shrubs, although generally hardy, can suffer damage if temperatures drop too low for too long a period of time. Mulching around the base of the plant can help insulate the root system, and in extremely cold-winter areas, more protection can be provided through the use of frost cloth.
Propagation
Trichostema lanatum can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Trichostema lanatum by Cutting
Propagating Trichostema lanatum by Seed
Propagating Trichostema lanatum by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Trichostema lanatum by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. They will be ready for harvesting after flowers have faded if you have left spent blooms ion the plant. The seeds are very small, so make sure you bring a paper bag or other container with you when you collect your seeds.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Problems and Pests
Trichostema lanatum shrubs are generally resistant to pests and diseases, but it is still a good idea to keep an eye out for the following common garden pests:
- Aphids
- Scale Insects
Gallery
Videos
A great introductory video to these native beauties.
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All about these shrubs.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 637, Trichostema lanatum (Wooly Blue Curls)
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