When it arrives
Your plug tray
Plugs from 20- or 72-cell trays root fast. Plant out after frost in full sun or pot up into a 4 in pot of gritty mix. Water lightly; overwatering young plugs is the main cause of loss.
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Lavender companion · grow guide
Artemisia · Artemisia
Silver mound artemisia needs full sun and lean, dry, fast-draining soil. Its biggest enemy is humidity and wet soil, which make the mound split open and rot in midsummer.
Check my zone & planting dates
Full sunLight
Low waterFast drainage
pH 6.0–8.0Soil
Zones 4a–9bHardiness
16″ tall36″ wide
ResistantDeer · rabbits resistant
Mildly toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Silver Lining will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 4a–9b
Spring after hard frost, or late summer to early fall.
Your year with Silver Lining
When it arrives
Plugs from 20- or 72-cell trays root fast. Plant out after frost in full sun or pot up into a 4 in pot of gritty mix. Water lightly; overwatering young plugs is the main cause of loss.
Spring after hard frost, or late summer to early fall.
Plant with the crown exactly at soil level. Burying the crown or piling mulch on it invites rot.
About 12–18 in apart so air moves between mounds.
Sandy, gravelly or average, low in organic matter · pH 6.0–8.0
Fix-it tip: Avoid compost-rich beds. In clay, add grit and plant on a mound or raised edge; good airflow and dry soil keep it tight and silver.
Full sun (tolerates very light afternoon shade).
Shade and rich soil both make the mound loose and floppy.
Don’t give up on it
New silver-green shoots push from the base in early to mid spring. Old woody stems from last year can look dead; growth comes from the crown.
Cut old stems back to new growth.
Shear by half in early summer; keep dry.
Leave stems standing; plant or divide early fall.
Hardy; keep soil from staying soggy.
First season: Water when the top inch of soil is dry for the first few weeks after planting; don't keep it soggy.
After that: Very drought tolerant. Water only in extended drought, at the base, never overhead.
None needed. Fertilizer makes it grow loose and split open.
Shear the mound back by about half in early summer, before or as tiny flowers form, to keep it tight. If it splits open in midsummer, shear hard and it will regrow. Cut old stems to new basal growth in spring.
Every 2–3 years in spring when the center opens up or dies out.
Silver mound is hardy to about zone 3–4. Wet winter soil is a bigger threat than cold; don't cut back in fall.
Struggles in hot, humid summers; the center may 'melt out' in July. Shearing and good drainage help.
Mound splits open, center flatLikely cause: Humidity, rich soil or too much water
What to do: Shear back by half, stop watering and feeding; it regrows tighter.
Plant turns black at the baseLikely cause: Crown rot from wet soil
What to do: Move to a raised, gritty spot; remove rotted parts.
Leggy, open growthLikely cause: Too much shade
What to do: Move to full sun.
Mound flops open, center browns or turns black in humid weather: too wet or crowded. Wilting gray leaves that don't recover overnight: needs water.
Silver mound is not listed by ASPCA, but ASPCA lists tarragon, another Artemisia, as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (essential oils; mild vomiting and diarrhea).
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
Good in pots · 1 gallon+
Good in pots and troughs with gritty mix; makes a soft silver filler. Pots must drain freely.
Outdoor plant
Needs full sun and winter dormancy outdoors.
No chill needed
Grown for foliage, not flowers; no chill needed. It still goes through a normal winter dormancy outdoors.
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 1 gallon potTime to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Plant it right alongside lavender
Same full sun and lean, dry soil. The low silver mound sets off lavender's purple spikes and stays neat at the front of a lavender bed.
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