A Simple Plant: Dusty Miller
By Andrea Peck
Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) comes with a plain name and at the point-of-purchase, a plain demeanor. I'm not sure why I bought the six-pack two years ago—I think I had been swayed by an article about white plants or maybe it was fall and I thought oh, these may look wintery in a few months.
Two years later I couldn't be more pleased. The diminutive seedlings are grown and lush. Tiny yellow flowers top their wooly grey foliage. They are so large now that they completely cover an entire corner around a plum tree (that is badly in need of pruning, I might add). They are quiet in their exuberance, but if you look closely, that is them leaning happily into the pathway.
I can attest to the fact that Dusty Miller is easy to grow. I can be stingy with water and sometimes my life takes precedence. The garden does not come first. But, this little trooper stuck with me. In some areas, where frost and cold are extreme, Dusty Miller is considered an annual. On the coast, it can grow perennially—after the second year, the plant will flower. Dusty Miller prefers a sunny spot. It is drought tolerant, but like most plants, you'll need to send it a little drink when circumstances border on parched (currently we are using laundry water in that area). They prefer rich, well-composted soil. Depending on the varietal, this plant can grow up to 2 feet high and spread up to 12 inches. Often you see Dusty Miller in industrial or commercial settings—here they are groomed to maintain a prim form.
Interestingly, I have read that many gardeners pinch back the little yellow flowers. In fact, this plant seems to have an overabundance of articles devoted to pruning it. Personally, this formal approach confuses me. I did read that the flowers take energy from the “lovely silvery foliage,” but don't flowers take from all “lovely foliage?” Grown hippie-style these are fun, rumbling plants that are only better large and flowery.
Dusty Miller does not appreciate soggy soil. But, at this stage of the game, who has any of that? The plant requires light feeding; 10-10-10 fertilizer is sufficient. Because the Dusty Miller does not like to be over-fertilized, a dose of compost at regular intervals is another option. You may have gotten the feeling that I am opposed to cutting this plant back, but if it starts to look leggy and ungainly, by all means prune it down. You will be rewarded with a bushier plant.
Dusty Miller is resistant to both deer and fire (and fiery deer, I suppose). Best of all, hummingbirds, butterflies and bees are attracted to this unusual plant. It is possible to propagate Dusty Miller from stem cuttings. And who couldn't use more of this easy and appealing plant?