Part of the family of colours called "white", silver can be a gray-green hue, a gray hue or a silver hue, all with darker and lighter tones. Gray-greens and grays will blend with nearly any colour and are excellent when used to separate discordant colours.

Note, however, that a pure silver, like white itself, should be used with care as it can overwhelm everything nearby.

* Watch for the animated hummingbird and butterfly with the plants that attract them. *
The deer icon indicates plants that deer are not usually attracted to.

The best time and method to propagate plants can be found on our image-intensive PROPAGATION page.

To help your plants grow their best, check out our FERTILIZATION page.

To create your own plant partnerships based on tried and true color theory, check out our GARDEN COLOR page.

To see if a particular plant is on this page press Ctrl+F, type in the name, then click the Find button.

CORNUS

Dogwood, a shrub that can remain attractive throughout the year, has some forms with silvery foliage. Plant them in full sun to part shade and enjoy the show.

Cornus alba var. 'Argenteo-Marginata':  Silverleaf Dogwood

above:  Eranthis hyemalis, pale Narcissus forms

CYNARA

Cardoon, with wonderful silvery-grey foliage, makes an excellent albeit huge and dramatic background plant. Only hardy to Zone 7, it is worth growing as an annual in colder zones.

Cynara cardunculus:  

with:   4' tall Euphorbia palustris (Marsh Spurge)
for foliage contrast with:  Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem grass) & Stachys 'Big Ears'

DIANTHUS

Pinks come in a variety of forms with silvery foliage, usually with a grey or bluish tint.

Dianthus arenarius:  Sand Pinks, 8"/20 cm, fringed petals, fragrant white flowers, silvery-blue foliage

in front of:  Iris x germanica
between:  Nepeta x faassenii & Iberis sempervirens
over bulbs:  Iris reticulata, Iris histrioides major

with:  dark foliage plants i.e. Heuchera

note:  some flowers are "banded", all have dark eyes, may rebloom slightly in late summer, not as fragrant as Cottage Pinks
synonym:  Dianthus Ballade Strain
with:  lavender, Nepeta x faassenii
with:  pink Rosa of various hues

ECHINOPS

Globe Thistle, its foliage a lovely grey-green, nevertheless gives an over-all silvery appearance to the spot it normally occupies as a backdrop in a garden setting.

Echinops:  Globe Thistle

with:  Achillea 'Red Beauty', Achillea x 'Moonshine', Aster novi-belgii 'Benary's Composition Mix',
Heuchera sanguinea, Lavandula, Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead', Liatris
with:  Hemerocallis (lemon yellow), canary yellow 'Hyperion', light orange 'Painted Lady', golden-yellow 'Stella d'Oro'
with:  Phlox paniculata 'Mount Fujiyama' (an excellent white)
with:  Lilium 'Thunderbolt' (an apricot Trumpet type), Perovskia atriplicifolia, Rudbeckia laciniata 'Goldquelle'
beside:  Alcea, Alcea rugosa (soft yellow)
in moist soil with:  Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket'
in dry soil with:  Verbena including Verbena bonariensis
combined with:  Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan', Scabiosa 'Pink Mist' & Verbascum 'Benary's Hybrids'
combined with: Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan', Liatris ligulistylis, Alcea rugosa & Buddleia 'Red Plume'

with:  Achillea x 'Coronation Gold', Kniphofia 'Royal Castle Hybrids'

with:  Hemerocallis (especially lemon or creamy yellow ones
with:  Hemerocallis 'Ice Cap' (pale cream-petalled, lemon-yellow throated)

ERYNGIUM

Sea Holly, otherwise known as Eryngo, blooms in summer and fall and thrives in full sun and dry soil. Steely-blue flowers steal the show but the subtly silvery foliage is handsome even before the blooms appear. Choose the site carefully. These are tap-rooted perennials which are difficult to move once established.

Eryngium:  

with:  Artemisia x 'Powis Castle'

EUPHORBIA

You will be delighted with the effect created by the silvery foliage of some forms of Spurge.

Euphorbia myrsinites:  Donkey-Tail Spurge, Myrtle Euphorbia, blue-gray foliage

where:  at border edges, to drape over rocks
seen above with:  purple Aubrieta in the spring

FESTUCA

Even Ornamental Grasses can possess a silvery effect, such as that of some of the Fescues.

Festuca:  Blue Fescue, under 12"x8-12"

for partnership ideas follow the link to Ornamental Grasses & Their Companions - 1

GYPSOPHILA

Baby's Breath, with its airy flowers, is as useful in the garden as it is in any flower arrangement. Consider as well the foliage - it can be blue-green to a gray-green which assumes a silvery appearance.

Gypsophila paniculata:  Baby's Breath

for partnership ideas, follow the link to White Perennials & Their Companions - 1

for partnership ideas, follow the link to White Perennials & Their Companions - 1

for partnership ideas, follow the link to White Perennials & Their Companions - 1

HELICTOTRICHON

Blue Oat Grass is often described more as a metallic blue colour than silver or grey. There are those who think its overall effect is silvery. However you describe it, this grass will fare best in well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Good air circulation will ensure handsome foliage. Hot, humid summers are definitively not to its liking. Do not cut this grass back in spring as with other ornamental grasses. Use your fingers to comb out old, loose foliage.

Helictotrichon sempervirens:  

for partnership ideas, follow the link to Ornamental Grasses & Their Companions - 1

HEUCHERA

Coral Bells, in its myriad forms, has nearly always been about the foliage. The wonderful variations create quite a sensation when there is a haze of silver above the underlying patterns and colours. The degree of silvering on the leaves can range from heavy to subtle. The cultivars mentioned below only touch the surface of the many new and wonderful silver Heuchera forms widely available today.

CULTIVARS WITH HEAVILY SILVERED FOLIAGE

LAMIUM

The groundcover plant, Dead Nettle, always prettier than its common name would suggest, has many forms with silvery accents that shine in shady areas of the garden. Whether the silvering is along the edges, down the centre or covering the leaves, the effect is always handsome.

Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver':  4"x12", pink flowers, small silvery-green leaves, tinted purple in fall

for partnership ideas follow the link to Shade Perennials & Their Companions - 2

for partnership ideas, follow the link to Shade Perennials & Their Companions - 2

LAVANDULA

Lavender has grey-green foliage that shows to best effect when planted together in masses. Try it and see for yourself.

Lavandula angustifolia:  

note:  watch for a better image of both the foliage and flowers here in 2007

LEYMUS

Another warm season Ornamental Grass, Lyme Grass, or wild rye, has a somewhat blue-grey appearance to its foliage. Beware of its invasive nature however and take steps from the start to curb its enthusiastic spread. If you are determined to give this genus a try, some of its forms are listed below. Do your own research to see which might be right for your purposes. The most attractive form is probably the first in the list. Some forms are in the Elymus genus, some in the Leymus genus. My updated information about the forms below is from Rick Darke's Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses.

LIMONIUM

Sea Lavender is sometimes called a Baby's Breath look-alike to be used as a "filler" in the garden. Its flowers are produced in airy clusters and are good used as dried flowers as well as in fresh arrangements. With a preference for average to rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade this plant is sure to find a suitable home somewhere in your beds. Site the plant well. Moving established plants is difficult but not impossible. To propagate, separate new crowns with roots attached from the outside of plants in spring.

Limonium latifolium:  

watch for a picture of this plant in summer 2007

FOR MORE SILVER FOLIAGE PERENNIALS & ORNAMENTAL GRASSES, FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW.

• Achillea - Cerastium
• Lunaria - Veronica

All of our own Gardens By The Bay pages can be accessed by clicking on the links below.

HOME

GARDEN POETRY  |  GARDEN POETRY MUSE

GEORGIAN BAY VIEW

BOTANICAL LATIN - BASICS

COLOR THEORY

THE GARDENS

CORNER GARDEN CONSTRUCTION  |  CORNER GARDEN PLANTING  |  LONG GARDEN

EAST GARDEN  |  HOSTA GARDEN  |  NORTH GARDEN  |  WINTER GARDENS

PLANT PARTNERSHIPS

BLUE PERENNIALS    Aconitum - Geranium  |  Iris - Vinca

BULBS    Allium - Hyacinthus  |  Narcissus only  |  Tulipa only  |  Minor Bulbs

BUTTERFLY MAGNETS    Anaphalis - Hemerocallis  |  Liatris - Veronicastrum
DAYLILIES      Spider & Unusual Form

EDGERS    Arabis - Iris  |  Nepeta - Veronica

FOLIAGE PERENNIALS     Alchemilla - Tanacetum

HOSTA    Hosta - all

HUMMINGBIRD-FRIENDLY PERENNIALS    Alcea - Salvia

ORANGE PERENNIALS    Achillea - Tulipa

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES    Acorus - Imperata |  Miscanthus - Spodiopogon

PINK PERENNIALS    Achillea - Lilium  |  Lychnis - Veronica

PURPLE PERENNIALS    Aconitum - Liatris  |  Polemonium - Veronica

RED PERENNIALS    Achillea - Veronica

SHADE PERENNIALS    Aegopodium - Erythronium  |  Ferns - Polemonium  |  Polygonatum - Vinca

SILVER FOLIAGE PERENNIALS    Achillea - Cerastium    |    Cornus - Limonium    |    Lunaria - Veronica

SIMPLY SPECIAL PERENNIALS    Acanthus - Saxifraga

WHITE PERENNIALS    Achillea - Iris  |  Kalimeris - Yucca

YELLOW PERENNIALS    Achillea - Hypericum  |  Inula - Verbascum

VARIEGATED-FOLIAGE PERENNIALS    Acorus - Erythronium  |  Hakonechloa - Lysimachia  |  Miscanthus - Yucca

PLANT PROFILES

Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies'  |  Geranium  |  Geum coccineum  |  Kerria japonica  |  Knautia macedonica

Paeonia tenuifolia  |  Papaver somniferum  |  Rudbeckia  |  Salvia 'East Friesland'

Trollius  |  Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'

PROPAGATION

DIVISION - SPRING ONLY  |   DIVISION - FALL ONLY  |   DIVISION - SPRING OR FALL  |   DO NOT DIVIDE

FERTILIZATION

BULBS  |   ORNAMENTAL GRASSES  |   PERENNIALS  |   SHRUBS  |   VINES

LINKS

GARDENS  |   LOCAL GARDENS  |   BOTANICAL TERMINOLOGY

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