The workhorse of the dried flower world, in deep violet, rose, apricot, yellow, blue and white on sturdy winged stems at 60 to 75cm. The stems have flat wings running down their edges, which is where the extra rigidity comes from.
The coloured part is not petal at all. It is papery calyx, which is why the flower feels crisp and dry while it is still growing in the ground, and why it holds its colour for years after cutting rather than for a season. Nothing else in the drying garden is as reliable.
Pick when the buds are half open. They carry on opening as they dry, and stems picked fully open tend to turn inside out or brown. Strip the leaves, which do not dry, bundle loosely so air moves through, and hang somewhere warm, dark and dry. The darkness is not optional; ultraviolet light fades dried statice faster than anything else.
It is half-hardy and cannot go out until late May or June. It germinates fast, in a week or two, and then wants full sun, lean soil and sharp drainage. Feeding it produces leaf at the expense of stems.
