Upgrade Your Cool-Season Landscape With This Low-Maintenance Unique Plant

When thinking about where to view the best fall foliage, the mountains of Virginia probably rank higher than your own garden. What if there was a plant you could add to your garden to enjoy beautiful foliage all year long? Dusty miller (Centaurea cineraria), also called silver ragwort, is an easy-to-grow plant from the Mediterranean that can be grown as either a perennial or an annual. Although it does bloom, the small, dandelion-like flower is usually not the main attraction. 

Gardeners typically grow this plant for its gorgeous leaves, which are a light silver, sometimes with a blue or green tint. The pale leaves look particularly striking amid the vibrant oranges, reds, and pinks of fall foliage and flowers. If you don't have room in your garden for it, dusty miller will also look great as part of a fall container arrangement. Recreate Hobby Lobby's fall planter box and add some silver ragwort to the edges to really make it pop.

Be sure you're getting the right plant, though. There are two plants that are both called dusty miller and silver ragwort. The leaves look nearly identical, but there are differences in plant care. Jacobaea maritima, previously called Senecio cineraria, can grow larger and is more tolerant of shade, but is less tolerant of poor soils. Both are toxic to pets. Even if you aren't sure which type of dusty miller you have, keep it out of reach of any curious critters in your home.

Silver ragwort is hardy enough to grow as a perennial in USDA hardiness zones six through 11, but it can still be planted as an annual in zones two through five. Of course, you can also keep it as a container plant in any zone and bring it indoors during winter. Whether in your garden or in a container, dusty miller plants thrive in full sun to partial shade. Average, well-draining soil is ideal, but it will also tolerate heavier clay soil. Dusty miller doesn't require much nutrition to grow, so you can plant it in poor soils where other plants won't grow.

When dusty miller blooms, you can either leave the flower or trim it off. This easy-going plant doesn't require much care. It's strikingly drought tolerant and only needs occasional watering, making it a great plant for hard-to-reach areas. The silver leaves are showy even at a distance, so hillsides, slopes, and the back of your garden are all good options. Dusty miller is also great for lining paths and cut flower arrangements. Container garden arrangements are an excellent choice as well, so if you're growing the low-maintenance flower-and-plant combo of petunias and sweet potato vines, consider adding some dusty miller to the mix.