Santolina

Olive herb earned its name thanks to its unmistakable fragrance, which strikingly resembles green olives with a light touch of eucalyptus and bergamot. If you want to see this special aroma for yourself, simply rub its pea-green linear leaves lightly. This aromatic perennial has its origins in the dry and sunny regions of the Mediterranean. For this reason, it will appreciate as much sun as possible in the garden, along with well-draining, sandy, or nutrient-poor soil. You will receive a beautifully rooted, grown seedling in a pot from us, which you can just transplant straight to your chosen spot in the garden bed. Choose a planting spacing of about forty centimeters so that each bush has enough space for its growth. The olive herb grows in dense, richly branched clumps that reach a height of around half a meter. During July and August, it forms plenty of tiny creamy-yellow flowers. These attract beneficial pollinators and give the plant a cheerful look. Caring for it is surprisingly easy; common pests and diseases avoid it completely, and it reliably withstands frosts down to minus seventeen degrees. It applies well on dry walls, in gravel beds, or as a border for pathways. Like most Mediterranean herbs, it also handles growing in containers on the patio very well. Its young shoots and flowers are fully edible, so you can use them in the kitchen to flavor meals. Furthermore, the long fragrant stems with flowers can be cut for a vase, where they stay fresh for several days, and they are also excellently suited for drying into dried arrangements and wreaths.