Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Flower Growing Guides

[+] larger image

Silvermound

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Artemisia schmidtiana
Asteraceae Family

Striking and distinctive with finely cut silver leaves that form a dense mound of foliage. Very showy against green foliage of other garden plants.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun
part shade

Prefers full sun.

Soil conditions:

tolerates droughty soil
requires well-drained soil
tolerates low fertility

Needs very well-drained, low-fertility soil. Rots easily with excess moisture or humidity.

Hardiness zones:

4 to 8

May be only marginally hardy in Zone 4.

Special locations:

rock gardens
xeriscapes

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: moderately difficult

Requires well drained soil. Careful pruning needed to keep it looking good through summer.

Height: 1 to 2 feet

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

Bloom time: mid-summer

Flower color: yellow

Small blooms borne in clusters, typically removed to prevent deterioration of foliage quality.

Foliage color:

gray-green
other

Silvery gray-green.

Foliage texture: fine

Shape: cushion, mound or clump

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Bears short, erect flower spikes.

Special Considerations

Tolerates:

heat

Special characteristics:

non-aggressive
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to Japan
evergreen

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by cuttings, division or separation - Divide in spring or fall.
Make cuttings in summer.

Maintenance and care:

Avoid watering as moist soil and high humidity cause rot. Space plants for good air circulation.
Remove blooms to prevent foliage deterioration.
When plants open up in summer, cut back to new growth. This can be done gradually if drastic cutting detracts from garden aesthetics.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Diseases:

White rust
Downy mildew
Powdery mildew
Fungal root and stem rot (Common in overly moist/humid conditions.)

Varieties

'Nana' grows just 3 inches tall forming a 1-foot-wide mound of fine silver leaves.