Silver ragwort, unique leaves

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Metal-grey, evergreen leafage on a bushy perennial reaching 20 to 24 inches: silver ragwort (Cineraria maritima) marks edges beautifully and carpets colourful flower beds, and it thrives in rocky ground and near the sea. Give it full sun and well-drained soil, and once its roots settle you need never water it again.

Silver ragwort facts summary

– Cineraria maritima

This is a plant that thrives in rocky ground, marks edges very well, and will provide great ground cover in otherwise colorful flower beds.

Although it wasn’t so common in the past, today it’s making a comeback and has become very trendy.

Planting silver ragwort

What works well is to sow silver ragwort in February or March in a nursery, to follow-up with a single repotting and then finally take time to plant it in the ground during the month of May.

In a pot or container

If you prefer buying it from a horticulture store as a grown seedling, plant it around May-June and keep a distance of about 6 inches (30 cm) between plants.

• Ragwort loves well-drained soil.
• An emplacement that is richly endowed with sunlight is preferable.
• Propagate it easily through in spring or fall.

• In a container, choose a pot with a drainage hole and mix a third of coarse grit or sand into the compost, as silver ragwort rots in standing moisture.
• Silver ragwort thrives in lean, well-drained soil, so go easy on high-nitrogen fertiliser, which tends to encourage soft, greener growth; a little compost worked in to improve drainage is still fine.
• Silver ragwort, a Mediterranean plant, is notoriously intolerant of waterlogged winter soil, so poor drainage is a common cause of losses, while the plant itself withstands moderate frost reasonably well.
• Set the top of the root ball level with the soil surface so the woolly crown stays clear of damp earth.

Caring for silver ragwort

Although it will do fine on its own, you can choose to cut wilting flowers off as they die.

It helps to water during the first few weeks after planting, but after that, no need to water anymore when your ragwort has settled its roots in the ground.

Silver ragwort needs sharp drainage because it is prone to crown rot in cold, wet winters, so keep mulch clear of the crown and ensure water drains away freely.

Which silver ragwort to choose

Named forms of silver ragwort differ mainly in how finely the leaf is cut and how compact the plant stays, which decides whether it suits a tight edging or a bolder block of foliage. The table below compares the forms most often found on the shelf.

All there is to know about silver ragwort

This perennial with a bushy bearing stands out with its unique silver-colored leafage. It grows in the wild around the Mediterranean ocean and along other coastlines of the world. Over a thousand different species have been numbered.

Thus, some varieties are perennials, some form shrubs and some even grow into silver ragwort vines.

The variety that is most commonly found in our gardens is often used along edges or in flower beds, but you can easily grow the plant in pots or containers on your terrace or deck.

It is quite well suited to growing near the sea, and it is often seen along beaches or ocean-lining cliffs.

> Other garden plants with silvery foliage:

• Convolvulus cneorum, bears white flowers (morning glory family)
• 3 plants with silver leaves and blue flowers

Smart tip about silver ragwort

When growing it for leaves, don’t let floral stems develop, snip them off as they appear.