Limonium perezii (Sea Lavender)

Native to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, this evergreen perennial subshrub has broad leaves arranged in basal rosettes. Stiff, branching stems carry dense clusters of small flowers, each with a purple calyx surrounding a white corolla. The papery calyces retain their shape and color when dried, making the flowering stems useful in dried arrangements as well as fresh bouquets. The fruit is a tiny, single-seeded capsule partly enclosed by the calyx. This coastal plant tolerates salty conditions. In the wild, it is restricted to northwestern Tenerife, where it grows in sunny cliff crevices and rocky scrub. Wild populations receive special protection in Spain. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.