Artemisia

Grow artemisias for their magnificent silver foliage that complements nearly all other perennials and helps tie together diverse colors within the garden. They're nothing short of stunning next to white or blue flowers.

They thrive in hot, dry, sunny conditions such as a south-facing slope. A number spread rapidly to the point of being aggressive, so consider limiting yourself to varieties listed below that are well-behaved.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

3-9

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-10 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers, Beds & Borders, Slopes, Groundcover

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage, Drought Tolerant, Deer Resistant, Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Powis Castle artemisia

(Artemisia 'Powis Castle') is a hybrid form that grows upright to 2 to 3 feet tall. Its finely divided foliage stays put, making it a welcome addition to the border and container plantings. Zones 7-9
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Seafoam Artemisia

(Artemisia versicolor 'Seafoam') has frothy contorted silver foliage that works well as a groundcover surrounding taller, drought-tolerant perennials. It grows 8 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 4-10
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Silver Brocade artemisia

(Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade') [also called A. stelleriana 'Boughton Silver'] grows only 6 to 8 inches tall and spreads a foot or more wide. Its lobed woolly white leaves are ideal to soften the edge of a container or retaining wall. Zones 3-7
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Silver King artemisia

(Artemisia ludoviciana 'Silver King') is a fast-spreading variety with bright silvery-white leaves that often turn reddish in autumn. Plant it on a slope in poor soil to hold the soil in place. It grows 4 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 4-9
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Silvermound artemisia

(Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound') forms a low mound of soft, fine-textured foliage to 1 foot tall that does not spread. Cut it back after its spring flush of growth to prevent the plant from flopping open in mid-summer. Zones 5-8
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Valerie Finnis artemisia

(Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis') offers silvery, lance-shaped leaves on an upright plant that grows 2 feet tall. Zones 4-9
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