Statice (Limonium Sinuatum Statice)

German Statice (L. Τataricum)

Statice colors

Statice arrangement

The usefulness of statice must have been noticed in pre-historic times - it's bright colors and long stems invite picking: the flowers last a long time in water. Even more remarkable is that it dries perfectly - colors and shape. The stem stays stiff and green. It has been cultivated in Western Europe for over 350 years. The name Limonium is from the Greek word leimon, meaning meadow. A reference to the natural habitat of Limonium.

Annual Statice (it goes by either Limonium or Sinuata), is a native of the Mediterranean region, found often by the sea. Yellow statice is still seen growing wild on the coast of Algeria. 

It is a tender perennial, generally grown as an annual. (There are two hardy perennial statice varieties: Sea Lavender, which produces large sprays of tiny pale lavender flowers, and German Statice (L. tataricum)  which makes large heads filled with tiny white flowers.) Statice grows low to the ground, forming a rosette with it's lance shaped, toothed leaves. 

Annual Satice is an easy grown cultivated plant. We start our statice from seed on March 15. Our seedlings are ready for transplant in the garden five weeks later. In the garden the plants thrive in a medium rich, well drained soil. 

Picking statice for drying requires thought. Generally, pick statice when it is ¾ open. The florets continue to open as they dry, thus a stalk partly open will dry fully open. 

One of the peculiar aspects of picking statice to dry is that many florets will have a small white "petal" in the florets and this little petal always disappears when the flower dries. 

Hang statice upside down in a dark room with good air circulation. The flowers generally dry in 7-10 days, unless it is unusually humid or rainy. If it dries so much that it becomes brittle, it can be misted with plain water to bring back it's flexibility. The colors will last for years if the flower is kept out of direct sunlight. 

Statice is capable of bringing the brilliance of summer into the gray of winter. It is a pre-eminent flower for long lasting, brightly colored dried flower arrangements. There is no substitute for it's clear color range: white, purple, blue, pink, clear yellow, orange/peach tones and intermediate pastel colors. Because statice comes in such a wide color range it is useful in bold masses and in in creating delicate color contrasts.