(Valerie Finnis White Sagebrush, Western Mugwort, White Sagebrush)

Valerie Finnis western mugwort is a compact clump-forming, herbaceous perennial native to western North America, including Mexico. The lance shaped, silvery white leaves may have some jagged edges or lobes at their tips. When crushed, they are fragrant. Woolly, yellowish brown flowerheads appear from midsummer to fall.

Western mugwort is often regarded as invasive and grows best in well drained soil and full sun. This plant is used in sunny mixed borders and rock gardens, and is a great dried...

(Schmidt's Wormwood, Silvermound, Wormwood)

Schmidt's wormwood, or silvermound, is an herbaceous perennial that originates from Japan. It forms a mounded carpet of very finely divided silver foliage, hence the common name silvermound. It has panicles of insignificant yellow flowers that appear in mid-summer. The cultivar 'Nana' is a nice selection with a more compact habit. One ornamental aggravation with this plant is its tendency to fall open in the middle and show its bare inner stems (not pretty). This is a very hardy perennial that is...

(Dwarf Silvermound, Schmidt's Wormwood, Silvermound, Wormwood)

Dwarf silvermound is a prized selection of an herbaceous perennial native to Japan. It forms a mounding, fine-textured carpet of very finely divided, soft, silky, silver leaves, hence the common name. It blooms in loose clusters of small and insignificant yellow flowers in mid-summer. This dwarf selection, ‘Nana,’ is much shorter and more compact than the species.

This is a very hardy perennial that tolerates moderate drought and does best in full sun and well-drained soil. One ornamental failing...

(Silver Mound Wormwood, Wormwood)

Silver mound wormwood, is an herbaceous perennial that originates from Japan. It forms a low, mounded, clump of very finely divided silver foliage, hence the name silver mound, and has insignificant yellow flowers that appear in mid-summer. This cultivar is more compact than the straight species. One ornamental aggravation with it is its tendency to fall open in the middle and show its bare inner stems. This is a very hardy perennial that is moderately drought tolerant and does best in sites with...

(Star Wormwood)

Despite its close resemblance to the tender perennial Senecio cineraria (better known as dusty miller), this herbaceous perennial from the coasts of Northeast Asia is rock hardy. It is also highly adaptable, having naturalized in both Northern Europe and the Northeast United States. It creeps and sprawls to form carpets of lobed leaves that are densely covered with silver-white fuzz. The leaves are concentrated toward the tips of the stems. Clusters of dull yellow nondescript flowers appear...

(Seashore Wormwood, Silver Brocade Wormwood, Star Wormwood)

Low-down, almost prostrate in habit, this selection of the popular foliage annual, Dusty Miller, is prized for its beautiful silver mat of overlapping, small, lobed leaves. The parent species of ‘Silver Brocade’ is native to coastal areas of northern Asia and Japan, and has naturalized in both Europe and the United States. The parent and this selection have proven tolerant of salt air and salty sandy soils. All the same, you can count on ‘Silver Brocade’ to do far better in areas with ordinary drainage,...

(Common Wormwood, Mugwort)

Put this weedy plant in the same classification as notorious weeds like Canadian thistle, star thistle, spotted knapweed and others. It is a bear of a plant that is next to impossible to get rid of once it takes hold. Plants aggressively spread via underground stems called rhizomes that form large matted colonies—even the smallest rhizome left in the ground will result in a new plant. The name “vulgaris” means common and this plant is common because it is a pest. Can you tell this is not one of our...

(Common Wormwood, Mugwort, Oriental Limelight Mugwort)

This variegated form of the weedy common wormwood has pretty enough golden variegated foliage but is profoundly invasive in the garden and beyond. It is next to impossible to get rid of once it takes hold. Plants aggressively spread via underground stems, called rhizomes, which form large matted colonies—even the smallest rhizome left in the ground will result in a new plant.

Common Wormwood is an herbaceous perennial that originates from areas across Europe, Africa, Asia and arguably northwestern...

(Arum, Cretan Arum)

At first glance of the Cretan arum in bloom, you'd think it was a lemon-scented calla lily. Native to the rocky mountainous hillsides of the Greek island of Crete, and adjacent western Turkey, it prospers in sunnier conditions, unlike many other arums which prefer shade.

The medium green, satiny leaves look like small arrowheads and appear from fall to spring. They die back in summer during the arid heat of the Mediterranean. Any time in spring, flower stems will rise above the leaves. Each bloom...

(Italian Arum, Lords-and-Ladies)

Grown primarily for its lush, often elegantly marked leaves, this tuberous herbaceous perennial is native to southern and western Europe. The large arrowhead-shaped leaves – which in many cultivated forms such as 'Marmoratum' are heavily veined with cream or silver – emerge from the ground in fall or early winter and persist through spring. Minute flowers are borne on a yellow club-like protuberance ("spadix") in late spring, which is hooded by a greenish-yellow leaf-like bract ("spathe"). Knobby...