Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Silver Ragwort, syn. Jacobaea

Description:

An interesting selection, producing thick, lacy, finely cut leaves covered in light, silvery hairs; grown primarily for foliage, trim flower stems to promote new basal growth; an excellent contrast plant for edging, containers, or massed as groundcover

Ornamental Features

Winter Whispers Dusty Miller's attractive tomentose ferny leaves remain silver in colour throughout the season on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. It features dainty clusters of yellow daisy flowers with gold eyes held atop the stems in mid summer.

Landscape Attributes

Winter Whispers Dusty Miller is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Winter Whispers Dusty Miller is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Winter Whispers Dusty Miller will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 14 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Winter Whispers Dusty Miller is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.