Description
Silver ragwort is a perennial that does not survive the winter outdoors – in our climate it often freezes, so it is usually grown as an annual. It belongs to the aster family (Asteraceae) and comes from the Mediterranean. The plants grow 40–80 cm tall, with leafy stems branching at the base. The leaves are decorative, pinnate with deeply cut segments, grey-green and covered with felty hairs. Garden varieties are lower than the species and have more delicate leaves.
The flowers are very small and yellow, gathered in corymbs, and not very decorative.
Requirements
It needs a sunny position – only then will the leaves be light and silvery.
Propagation
It is propagated from stem cuttings or from seed sown in March in a greenhouse. Prick the seedlings out singly into pots and plant them out in the first half of May. For stem cuttings, keep the mother plant over winter in a cold room and root the shoots at the beginning of February.
Care
Silver ragwort grows well in almost any soil. It is used to edge borders and in carpet bedding.