It is hard to imagine any colour that is not enhanced by being in close proximity to plants with silver foliage. Gray-green shades of silver are unparalleled for their ability to blend with everything. Gray goes with all hues, but is especially nice with pastels and whites. Pure silver is brighter than the preceding shades and may need judicious use in a border situation.

* 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.

LUNARIA

Money Plant or Silver Dollar, a self-seeding biennial, puts out silvery foliage in its first year, blooms in the second, then dies. Flowers are either purple or white and are followed by papery seedheads in the shape of coins, hence the name. Sow seeds outdoors in early spring or in mid-summer or allow the plant to self-sow.

Lunaria annua:  Silver Dollar, Money Plant

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

LYCHNIS

Various forms of Campion benefit by having a silvery effect in their foliage which acts to tone down the intensity of some of its flower colours. All species are especially handsome when placed amid plenty of green, including that of shrubs. They will self-sow so you are unlikely to be without them after your initial planting.

Lychnis coronaria:  Rose Campion, 18-24" x 18"

what:  silvery-grey foliage in rosettes with clusters of rose-crimson flowers above on branched, grey stems

what:  clump-forming, with grey foliage and deep rose-pink flowers

what:  flowers are held on long 24" stems above woolly grey foliage
in front of:  Paeonia 'Mahogany' (a single, crimson flowers)

NEPETA

Catmint, both showy and fragrant, is wonderful at the edges of a garden, where the bluish-to-purple flowers can be appreciated up close. Foliage adds a grey-green, sometimes silvery, effect to this wonderful, subtle perennial plant. Cut-back afer the first flush of blooms for a repeat in the fall.

Nepeta x faassenii

note:  the perfect companion for many Dianthus forms

with:  Achillea 'Coronation Gold'
with:  Phlomis russeliana, Alchemilla mollis & Rosa 'Graham Thomas (a lovely golden-yellow)

PAPAVER

One form of Poppy in particular, the Opium Poppy, has handsome silvery foliage. The flowers that bloom above can be singles, semi-doubles or doubles, in many different shades, all made more attractive by being in close proximity to the lovely foliage.

Papaver somniferum

The images above show only a hint of the colour possibilities in this genus.

PEROVSKIA

Russian Sage is not a Sage, in spite of its name, but is gorgeous nonetheless with its fragrant, grey-green leaves and lavender-blue blooms on grey-white stems. Give it a well-drained site and prune the woody stems of this shrubby perennial back to 6" in early spring.

Perovskia atriplicifolia:  Russian Sage, a sub-shrub, 4'x3'

what:  1995 PPA Plant of the Year
with:  Rudbeckia and other late-blooming perennials or Ornamental Grasses

PHLOMIS

Jerusalem Sage did not appear in any of my early gardening books which is probably why I have only recently added it to my gardens. Preferring full sun and well-drained soil, it will surely provide an overall silvery effect that is always most welcome with its hooded butter-yellow flowers in whorls and grey-green foliage.

Phlomis russeliana:  36"x24"

with:  Nepeta x 'Six Hills Giant', Alchemilla mollis & Rosa 'Graham Thomas' (golden yellow)

PULMONARIA

Commonly known as Lungwort, this is another genus amazingly rich in silvery-foliaged forms. When you see pictures of these beauties, you'll want to try them all. Use Google Images to check out some of the forms below, just a few of the many with such silvered leaves.

Pulmonaria:  Lungwort

PULSATILLA

Once called Anemone pulsatilla, this spring-blooming perennial now known as Pulsatilla vulgaris may have white, red or purple blooms. After the flowers put in their rather brief appearance it is the foliage you will appreciate for its overall silvery look. You may be more familiar with the common name, Pasque Flower. The purple form of this perennial can be seen in the border around this page as well as in the images just below and at the top of the page.

Pulsatilla vulgaris:  

the purple cultivar above left can be seen in the border around this page and in the image at the top of the page

SALVIA

Sage, whether grown for its flowers or its foliage, is a welcome highlight in a garden setting. When the silver-foliaged forms are added the result will bring comments and praise from all your garden visitors.

Salvia argentea: ; Silver Sage, giant silvery-gray woolly foliage, silvery-white flowers (cut off immediately after flowering)

where:  dry, sunny spots in extremely well-drained soil

what:  a cultivar that is tolerant of heat and humidity, as well as long-lived

second year:  produces tall stalks smothered in white-mauve-pink flowers
seed production:  although the plant will die after flowering, it will produce plenty of seeds first

If the silvery forms above are not enough and you want more, just follow the links below for plenty of ideas.

SANTOLINA

Lavender Cotton is the common name of this fibrous-rooted woody-crowned mounding perennial, perfect for edging garden beds or walkways. Drought-resistant, this Zone 6 hardy plant favours well-drained, sandy or loamy soil in full sun. Keep plants bushy by pruning back hard after flowering has finished.

Santolina chamaecyparissus:  Lavender Cotton,1-2' tall, grayish-white, woolly, divided foliage, small yellow flowers

where:  bed or walkway edges, knot gardens

SEDUM

In addition to solid-coloured and variegated leaves, some forms of Stonecrop even have silvery foliage as you will see by the list of several such below.

Sedum sieboldii:  October Daphne, 6-9", pink flowers, gray-green foliage

foliage seen in the image above with the yellow flowers and green foliage of Chrysoganum virginianum

STACHYS

Lamb's Ears is one genus that immediately comes to mind when you think of silver-foliaged perennials. A wonderful edger for adding a feeling of softness to a garden setting, a method by which to bring harmony to otherwise discordant elements.

Stachys byzantina:  

the cultivar in the image above is the large-leaved 'Helen von Stein'
for partnership ideas, follow the link to Edgers & Their Companions - 2

THYMUS

Sun-loving Thyme is available in numerous forms with leaf colour ranging from bright green, to light green, to variegated, to silvery. Choices in the latter abound as you will see below.

Thymus x citriodorus 'Silver Queen':  Lemon Thyme, pale lilac flowers, silver-edged foliage

where:  

where:  cracks in patios, walkways, rock walls

interplanted with:  other low-growing flowers
where:  in boxes, planters and pots

VERBASCUM

Another sun-lover, the Mullein has numerous silver-leaved forms. Many may be coarse-looking but the silvery effect will soften their boldness. These are biennial, producing a rosette of foliage the first year, then flowers the second in shades of yellow, pink or peach. They will produce plenty of seeds after flowering is over for propagation.

Verbascum bombyciferum:  Giant Silver Mullein, 60-70"x18-24", silver-gray felted foliage in first year

where:  in spite of their tall stature, they look wonderful in mid to front border positions
surrounded by:  short-statured companion plants

VERONICA

With its beautiful upright spikes of flowers in a variety of colours, Speedwell doesn't need silver foliage but can benefit from it just the same.

Veronica spp. incana:  deep violet-blue, 8-12"x12" or more

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

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

• Achillea - Cerastium
• Cornus - Limonium

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

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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

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