Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) is a dazzling Chapparal shrub named for its curled, fuzzy blue-purple flowers, which bloom from branching stems in dense clusters from fall to spring.
Woolly Bluecurls is a hummingbird favorite in the garden. The flowers also attract many pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects.
The shrub's narrow, bright green leaves, somewhat resembling Rosemary leaves, and have a pleasant minty fragrance.
Depending on where it is planted, Woolly Bluecurls can vary in how quickly it will grow. In the right conditions, it can grow to an impressive size in the first year.
Woolly Bluecurls (sometimes written Woolly Blue Curls) is a fire-following plant that is among the first to appear after wildfires. Because of this, it can have a shorter lifespan, around 4 to 5 years, but its unique and ephemeral beauty makes it all the more worthwhile for most gardeners.
As a bonus, Woolly Bluecurls is very drought tolerant once established. It should not be watered (even occasionally) in summer.
Trichostema lanatum - Woolly Bluecurls
Optimal Growth Conditions
- Mature Height: 3 - 5 feet
- Mature Width: 3 - 10 feet (usually staying within 3 - 4 feet in garden applications)
- Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water: Extremely Low, Very Low
- Soil Drainage: Fast
Geographic Appropriateness
- USDA Zone: Zones 7 - 10
- Sunset Zone: Zones 10, 14 - 24
- Native Sites: Chaparral in well-drained mesas and rocky canyon slopes, mostly between Monterey County and San Diego County in California, extending into Baja California. Occasionally found in sage scrub and semi-riparian areas.
Additional Landscaping Information
- Characteristics: Flowering, California Native, Drought Tolerant, Deer Resistant
- Special Uses: Containers, Specimen Plant