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mxk3

What are some silvery-leaved plants for part-shade?

mxk3 z5b_MI
12 years ago

Need suggestions for silvery-leaved part-shade perennials besides painted ferns and coral bells - have enough of those.

This spot is in front of some blue-leaved hostas (Halcyon, I think) and a red laceleaf Japanese maple as a backdrop and next to bergenia and brunnera on either side. Need something to break up the green of the bergenia and brunnera, want something silvery there.

It is part shade - morning sun and early afternoon sun until about 2-3-ish, and the soil is fairly good but can get dry, often needs supplemental watering (but note the other plants above that are doing well there).

Right now I have sage growing there, and it has not come back silvery this year - it's just plain ol' green sage. I'd like to pot that up (for cooking, of course) and replace. Is doing well, though.

Suggestions?

Comments (16)

  • buyorsell888
    12 years ago

    Pulmonaria, Brunnera 'Jack Frost' and 'Looking Glass' some hostas are more silver than blue

  • ninamarie
    12 years ago

    The very best silver leafed plant I can think of for the shade is another brunnera - 'looking Glass' to be specific. The leaves are almost solid silver.
    Some varieties of pulmonaria would also give you the colour you are looking for. Pulmonaria 'Majeste', 'Raspberry Ice', and 'Raspberry Splash' are good silver-leaved choices. There are others.
    Sage prefers hot and dry locations, which will develop the silver colour.

  • tepelus
    12 years ago

    Lamium 'Purple Dragon' has mostly silver leaves and has pretty purple flowers. Some people have a problem with lamiums taking over, but mine haven't and I wish they would spread more.

    Karen

  • ditas
    12 years ago

    Miniature Hostas ~ a few to choose from!

    Lamiums ~ White Nancy, Beacon Silver & Pink Pewter & as tepelus mentioned PDL

  • boday
    12 years ago

    Probably the best and hardiest silver plant is lamiastrum Herman's Pride. Spreads and fills in moderately. Works both in shade and part shade has yellow blooms for about three weeks. Looks scruffy the first year and then blasts off. Literally lights up the shade. Drought tolerant once established. The only problem might be that in rich soil will go a dense 15 inches high.

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    12 years ago

    I was going to suggest Pulmonarias too until I read sun until 2 or 3. Too much hot sun for the pulmonarias I have. Sun until 2 or 3 is full sun as far as I'm concerned. I'd try Stachys (the variety that rarely blooms).

  • conniemcghee
    12 years ago

    I have Silver Dragon Liriope in several places, and I really like it. It would be a different texture, and works in sun or shade. Not fancy, but easy...

  • pam_whitbyon
    12 years ago

    What about "pewter veil" heuchera? I've seen pictures,, keep meaning to look for one myself and always forget. Not sure if it's silvery enough but it has a nice pale metallic look to it.

  • Karchita
    12 years ago

    I agree that Stachys would do well in your situation, which is actually full sun if it gets more than 6 hours of sun a day. Stachys will take full sun to part shade and doesn't need much water, either.

    If you really have part shade, another idea is Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'. It's white and silvery looking and the texture would be a nice contrast to the other plants you have in the area. It alos doesn't need much water.

  • kayjones
    11 years ago

    Do a google.com search for Senecio cineraria aka Dusty Miller and see if that's what you have.

  • ginnier
    11 years ago

    I like this one...has large 6 or 8" leaves, grows maybe 20-25 inches for me in the shade, They are fuzzy and eye-catching. The only problem is that they bloom in the 2nd or 3rd year and then you start over. I saved seed so we'll see how they do. Even when it bloomed it was kinda pretty...not striking, but not bad.
    The 2nd spring I got kinda antsy and thought it wasn't coming up, so I was poking around in the bark looking for anything slightly below. Next thing I knew I was holding a piece of the sage in my hand: I had pulled up a bit of it!!! I poked that baby right back in the ground a few feet away...and wouldn't you know I soon had two plants of it!
    I snip off the flowers before they bloom and got 3 years out of them...

  • echinaceamaniac
    11 years ago

    If it gets hot and dry, skip Brunnera. They can't tolerate the hot afternoon sun and burn. They also will die down when they are too hot in the sun. I had to plant mine in a wetter spot with more shade and still have to water it quite often in the summer.

    Lamb's Ear is a much better option and won't need to be pampered as much.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    11 years ago

    I love my Jack Frost. Here it is in its first full season last year. It receives mostly dappled sun. (It has performed so much better than my "King's Ransom" Brunnera...for me the leaves crinkle and brown very easily; to be fair I think these KR are in a too dry, lean soil location).

    But for maybe the most silver leaved Brunnera I plan on planting a couple of the new offering "Silver Heart".

    Here is a link that might be useful: SILVER HEART

    This post was edited by rouge21 on Thu, Feb 28, 13 at 12:38

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Rouge - great Jack Frost specimen!

    I bought some last season (put in a different spot than my original post), hopefully they will be nice and lush this spring!

    I have a lot of a Helen von Stein Lamb's ear -- I could move some of those. What I am probably going to do, though, is move the sage (the silvery culinary sage - whatever the technical name for that is) to a sunnier spot and fill in the area with "Ice Dance" sedge, since I have to divide my clumps anyway. Or maybe I'll use the Lamb's ear. Who knows...depends how I feel the day I get out there LOL!

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    11 years ago

    Thanks mxk3. I think I have it located in the perfect location in terms of light and richness of soil.

    But did you see that picture of SILVER HEART? I am looking forward to getting a couple of these this spring for our new very much shade garden.

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    11 years ago

    There are several silvery/mottled Asarums. PDN likely have a few that would make it in your zone (I intend to get A. splendens myself...someday, lol). Should do fine in dryish conditions.

    Might look too similar to Heuchera, but Tellima grandiflora 'Forest Frost' is perfect for dry shade and much easier to grow. I don't have that cultivar, but LOVE the species.

    There are some Polygonatums with silver. 'Silver Striped Selections' (rather $$ I imagine) and I think silver-burnished 'Silver Wings'.

    Actaea pachypoda 'Misty Blue' has silvery-ish foliage. Wasn't all impressed with it at the nursery, but it would likely look much nicer in an actual garden setting.

    Probably not what you were looking for since they go summer dormant, but Cyclamen herifolium and coum can have nice silver/mottled foliage.

    Don't grow this myself but...Leucosceptrum 'Silver Angel'. Does best in moist soil, but I have heard some grow these in dryish areas okay.
    CMK

    This post was edited by christinmk on Thu, Feb 28, 13 at 15:19

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