Description
Silver Dust, Dust Miller
The Silver Dust plant (Senecio cineraria) is an interesting landscape addition, grown for its silvery-grey foliage. Lacy leaves of the dusty miller plant are attractive companions for many blooms in the garden. Once established, dusty miller requires minimal care.
The foliage is silvery-grey to nearly white and has a soft, felt-like texture. The leaves may be shallowly cut like an oak leaf or deeply incised like the fronds of a fern. Dusty Miller is best known for its striking foliage, but it also produces loose clusters of 1-1½ inch mustard yellow flowers.
Silverdust is part of the Senecio genus and is a Dusty Miller variety. Its scientific name is Senecio cineraria ‘Silverdust’. This variety typically blooms in the following colours: Golden yellow. The leaves of this particular variety normally show a Taupe grey colour. Silverdust grows as a Perennial and is Ornamental. Being a Perennial, it tends to grow best over several years (approx 3 years and greater).
Typically, Silverdust Dusty Miller requires only a basic level of care throughout the year to thrive, making it fairly low maintenance and quite easy to grow. Being aware of the basic growing conditions this plant likes (soil, sun, and water) will result in a strong and vibrant plant.
Cultivation
It is only necessary to cut Dusty Miller plants back if they become leggy during the growing season. Cut them back by up to half and they will quickly fill back out.
In areas where it is perennial, cut it back to the ground in early spring when the new growth just begins to emerge. Dusty Miller plants are easy to grow from softwood cuttings taken in the summer or from seed.
Easy to grow in any well-drained soil in a sunny position. Versatile foliage plant with great drought tolerance and wind tolerance
Plant Requirements
- Light
Thrives in bright but they will tolerate light shade.
- Water
Water alternate or in 2-3 days, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Increase the frequency with increased light.
Plant Care Tips
- Dusty miller is often planted in flowering beds and is especially striking in containers where the lacy foliage is viewed up close. Dusty miller comes in several varieties, all of which have silvery foliage, but the shape of the leaves is slightly different. The mature height of the plant ranges from 8 to 18 inches. Gardeners often grow dusty miller as an annual.
Silver Dust Uses
Ornamental Use:
- You may use dusty miller as a background plant for low-growing, creeping annual plants, such as wave petunias.
- You may place it attractively among ornamental grasses.
- You may effectively use dusty miller in borders or as part of an outdoor container planting.
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