Green Santolina (Santolina Virens, Green lavender cotton, Cotton Lavender Virens) is an aromatic hardy evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean region. Green santolina has small, yellow button flowers and elegant small fringed leaves. It is about 18-24 inches in height, and 12 inches in spread. Its deep yellow, button-like flowers are produced in summer. It is used as a companion plant to edge the garden. Green Santolina has been popular in the Western world since medieval times as a design element in a border or edge of the garden.
The leaves of the Santolina virens is very pungent. The dried leaves are used to blend in herbal tobaccos. With a chamomile like aroma, green santolina extract oil is used in perfumes. The dried flowers are used in pot pourris (put a collection of dried flower petals in a pot to scent the air). The strong scent acts as an insect repellant to repel moths, fleas and ants. People use santolina virens in house and floors to repel fleas and ants, and use it in garden to repel moths.
Santolina has another use, that is to deter deer and repel rabbits from the garden. The Ministry of the Environment in British Columbia of Canada suggests using santolina to deter deer. And in the US, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends planting the shrub to repel rabbits from the garden.
In ancient times, the herb was used as an astringent to expel intestinal parasites from the body. The herb was taken internally to treat ringworm and parasites in human body.
Grey Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is a relative of Green Santolina. It has soft silver fringed leaves and small yellow flowerheads. And grey santolina also has a aroma, and is also used as an insect repellant and for creating silver hedge to border the garden.
How to use santolina
Today, santolina is no longer used internally, but still used for repelling insects and pests.
To deter rabbits and deer, you can plant the herb around your garden. The aroma will keep the rabbits and deer away.
To repel insects in the house, spread fresh or dried herb in or around the house, including doors, beds, closets.
You can also make a homemade herbal decoction as a chemical-free insect repellant. Here is a recipe:
– Dried santolina 1 cup (or fresh herb 3 cups, cut into pieces)
– Water 1 quart
– Put the herb and water in a big pot
– Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute
– Turn off the heat
– Let it slowly cool down on the stove
– Strain
– Pour into a spray bottle
– Spray it onto floors, doors, windows and beds to repel ants and fleas
Tips: when using an aromatic herb to make a decoction, do not boil it for longer than 3 minutes. Otherwise the aromatic ingredients will be lost. It is recommended to cut the herb into small pieces, and just bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute, then immediately turn off the heat, and let the pot slowly cool down on the stove. Strain the liquid after 2 hours.
