Silver Brocade Artemesia
Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade'
Height: 12 inches
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 2
Other Names: Wormwood, Sage, Mugwort
Description:
Powdery silver felted leaves truly resemble an old-fashion brocade. Great for edge of the border or as a container accent. Low growing, deciduous groundcover with scalloped, silvery white foliage. Trim in early spring and mid summer. Drought tolerant.
Ornamental Features
Silver Brocade Artemesia's attractive deeply cut ferny compound leaves emerge silver in spring, turning silvery blue in color throughout the season on a plant with a mounded habit of growth.
Landscape Attributes
Silver Brocade Artemesia is a dense herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Silver Brocade Artemesia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Silver Brocade Artemesia will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for clay, alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Silver Brocade Artemesia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
