Woolly Bluecurls

Woolly Blue Curls is an unforgettable California native shrub with flowers as intricate as its name suggests. From spring into summer, dense spikes of blue-purple blossoms emerge at the ends of its branches, each covered in fine woolly hairs and threaded with dramatically curved stamens. Narrow, dark green leaves release a rich fragrance when brushed, often described as a blend of lavender, cedar, and other aromatic herbs.

Native to chaparral and coastal scrub from central California into northern Baja California, this evergreen shrub is built for dry summers, intense sunlight, and lean soils. Its flowers are visited by hummingbirds, bumblebees, butterflies, and other pollinators, making it as ecologically rewarding as it is visually distinctive.

Woolly Blue Curls generally grows 3–5 feet tall and can spread 4–6 feet wide, developing into a loose, rounded shrub with year-round texture. It makes an exceptional specimen for dry borders, slopes, rock gardens, and California-native habitat plantings. Excellent drainage is essential, and plants perform best without routine summer irrigation, fertilizer, or moisture-retaining organic mulch.

• Plant Woolly Blue Curls in full sun and sharply drained soil, and avoid fertilizer, organic mulch around the crown, and regular summer irrigation.
• Lightly shorten stems after flowering to encourage denser branching, but avoid cutting deeply into old, leafless wood or heavily shearing its naturally graceful form.