A versatile silver plant that is a unique alternative to Dusty Miller

I lastly made the trek this previous spring to search for annuals at a small out-of-the-way greenhouse in upstate New York that I’ve heard about for years however by no means visited. I anticipated to seek out the standard workhorses, however alongside them have been some extraordinary crops that stood out all season lengthy.

One among them was Angel Wings® Sea Cabbage. I went straight to her as quickly as I noticed luminous, silver-white, elegant leaves from her. At the same time as a younger and small plant, it glowed. Regardless of competing with about 50 different pots on my backyard terraces, this one – planted alone in a pot all to itself – has turn into my season favourite with its magnificence and serenity that command consideration. This tender perennial does effectively in October in Zone 5, however any gardeners in areas cooler than Zone 8 who need to hold it for subsequent 12 months have to winter it inside. (It makes an amazing houseplant.)

In a medium-sized planter on a sunny terrace, Angel Wings® exhibited a speedy development price that made it a delight to look at. Regardless of its huge, velvety foliage, which I insisted all my guests contact, it’s surprisingly a succulent. The genus Senecio, with greater than 1,000 species, contains many crops with completely different traits. Essentially the most acquainted dusty miller (Maritime Jacobaea and cvs., sin. senecio cineraria, Zones 7–10) is an attractive plant, though for my part it’s a lot much less refined just because it has been overplanted. Though the colour of Angel Wings® is analogous, its tactile nature mixed with its clean edged sheets makes it actually distinctive.

Because it was settling in, I discovered that Angel Wings® most popular lower than full solar. If you happen to keep watch over it, you will see that it droops barely if it is overheated. Word this and transfer it to a location with much less direct mild, solely morning solar or partial shade. Good drainage, or sandy or loamy soil for those who plant it within the floor, plus every day or nearly every day watering when in full solar.

This plant is all in regards to the foliage, however I’ll take the problem and fertilize it with a flower-boosting method this 12 months to see if I can persuade it to supply its not often seen clusters of brilliant yellow flowers. Flowers or no flowers, it’s a powerful and unfussy famous person that may make all guests to your backyard marvel.

Sea Cabbage Angel Wings®

Senecio candicans ‘Senaw’

Zones: 8–11

Situations: Full solar to partial shade; Medium, well-drained soil

native vary: South America

Margherita Fabrizio is a gardener and photographer in Ithaca, New York.

Illustration: Elara Tanguy

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