Dusty Miller ‘Silver Dust’

Jacobaea maritima ‘Silver Dust’

Characteristics

Culture

‘Silver Dust’ Dusty Miller is a popular landscaping plant used as an accent plant because of its unique silvery gray-green leaves. The lacy foliage is heavily serrated and starts out almost white and develops a green tint as it matures. ‘Silver Dust’ does bloom with tiny dark yellow flowers, but like coleus and similar plants that are grown mainly for their foliage, the blooms are insignificant and, therefore, are usually are removed.

These heat- and drought-tolerant plants are off of the menu of deer and rabbits. This means that if they are left alone they can grow and thrive all summer and fall; and will possibly survive the winter in some locations.  If they do come back the next spring, leave the old foliage until you can see where the new growth begins then you can cut it back.  During the regular growing season, pinch center stems to encourage fuller growth.  Or, you can cut back ‘Silver Dust’ if it gets too unwieldy. Use the discarded material as a filler in cut flower arrangements. Tolerates full shade, but foliage color is best with some sun.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Dusty miller, is a popular foliage plant grown for its cool, silvery, woolly-felted leaves which provide excellent contrast to beds, borders and containers. In frost-free areas, it becomes shrubby over time, typically growing to 1-2’ tall. Felted, silver-gray leaves are pinnately cut into irregular oblong segments. Foliage is attractive throughout the growing season, often lasting well past the first frost in fall. Small, daisy-like, cream to yellow flowers usually do not appear in the first year. Flowers are insignificant and generally detract from the foliage effect. Many of the cultivars rarely produce flowers.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to rust.

Garden Uses

Beds or mixed borders. Edgings. Containers.