Dusty Miller / Cineraria Marítima

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima, formerly Senecio cineraria) is one of those plants that brings something completely different into the garden. Its deeply divided leaves are covered in the softest silvery-white felt, giving the whole plant an almost luminous appearance. Against all the greens of a garden, Dusty Miller seems to glow. It is especially beautiful planted among darker foliage, herbs and flowering plants, where its extraordinary white-silver colour really stands out.

It belongs to the great Asteraceae family, alongside the wormwoods, Artemisia, daisies and many other medicinal plants. Dusty Miller also has its own interesting history as a medicine, particularly in traditional preparations for the eyes. It has long been associated with supporting cloudy or tired eyes and has been used in preparations for cataracts and other eye complaints. It is a plant with a much older medicinal story than its modern reputation as simply an ornamental garden plant might suggest.

The foliage is what makes Dusty Miller so distinctive. Those fine white hairs are not only beautiful, they form a protective covering over the leaf and help the plant cope with strong light and drying conditions. It likes plenty of light and develops its brightest silvery colour in good sun. Give it loose, well-drained soil and allow the soil to dry somewhat between watering, as it does not enjoy sitting with wet roots.

It can be trimmed to keep it compact and bushy and looks wonderful along pathways, around garden beds, in pots or woven among medicinal herbs and flowers. Dusty Miller is a quiet plant, but certainly not an ordinary one. Its almost-white foliage brings light into the garden, while behind that beauty is an old and fascinating history as a medicinal plant.