Silver and grey coloration in plants often come because they are covered with either fine hairs or a waxy substance that creates a silvery look. This makes many silver leafed plants drought tolerant, as the coating helps the plants to retain water – something much more desirable in plants than in people.
Beware, though – many silver plants are also garden thugs, running rampant over their more polite bedmates. Even thugs have their place in some gardens, so let’s take a look starting with the more invasive species and moving to the safer types.
Thugs and Their More Polite Relatives
Artemisia Most forms of Artemisia are prone to running amok. Without great vigilance on the gardener’s part they will pop up everywhere. A couple of them are more polite. The best is Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ which forms a rounded shape that looks almost sculpted. It tends to flop in the heat of summer but can be cut back and will resume its tidy shape in no time.
Artemisia canescens (A. versicolor) is a low grower that is lacy and delicate and a good spreader without being invasive. Given excellent drainage, A. ‘Powis Castle is also well mannered.
Stachys Often called Lamb’s Ears because of their soft, velvety texture, Stachys byzantina makes a lovely ribbon of silver when used as a border plant. Cut the pink flowers off before they go to seed or that border will soon become a sheet. Buy the non-flowering varieties, Stachys ‘Silver Carpet’ or S. ‘Big Ears’ for a more polite, drought tolerant edging.
Cerastium tomentosum Better known as Snow in Summer, this plant has grey-white foliage and at bloom time is covered in tiny white blossoms. It works well in a rock garden, or a rock wall, but is a vigorous grower best confined.
Polite Silvery Garden Residents
- Perovskia – Russian Sage has lacy silvery foliage and lavender flowers. P. filigrans is tall but transparent enough to use near the front of the border; cut it back hard after bloom and it will stay compact. Or use P. ‘Little Spire’ which is a more petite plant.
- Veronica incana (speedwell) has small pointed oval leaves and porcelain blue flowers for several weeks in spring and early summer. It spreads well and is another good front of border plant.
- Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium niponicum) are metallic silver edged in green with stems of dusky-purple. They do well in shade to part sun and really light up a dark corner. Two of the best are ‘Ghost” which is the most silvery variety, and ‘Ursula’s Red’ which has bright red accents.
- Heuchera Silver Scrolls is the brightest and most metallic of the heuchera varieties, with H. ‘Silver Shadows’ running a close second. But H. ‘Can Can’ with its nearly pleated foliage of silver and gray reflects the morning sun beautifully. H. Pewter Veil’ is a darker silvery color, while H. ‘Persian Carpet’ interweaves silver, grey and purple tones.
- Most lavender plants are grey-green and fragrant. They demand good drainage but are not only beautiful in the landscape but good for formal edgings or knot gardens.
Annuals
- Cineraria maritime is the common ‘Dusty Miller’ and it is a bright felted silver-white but rather clunky and trite. Instead, try C. ‘Colchester White’ which has delicate lacy foliage.
- Helichrysum petiolares, commonly called Licorice Plant can spread several feet from its center rosette if it is happy. But it looks great in situations where the stems can trail over basket edges or a garden wall.
- Lavender Coton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is a tender sub-shrub which can survive a zone 6 winter if well mulched. It has fine solver foliage and tiny yellow flowers that are inconsequential. Santolina is often used in knot gardens, and makes a good edging to a garden bed.
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