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New Plant Craspedia globosa, Silver
Craspedia globosa forms an unruly tuft of silver foliage, the flowers are round globes studded with tiny yellow blooms. I killed my first plant quite a few years ago, assuming a silvery Australian native needed very little water. Wrong. Finally a chance to try again.
The flowers are fun, but the silver foliage is no less alluring. Let us consider a few other silvery garden residents. Silver Craspedia with silver Dichondra...
The recently purchased silver Glaucium is happy, though it has not bloomed again since planting. No matter--the foliage is ornamental enough. It has been unfazed by heat.
Leucophylum has progressed significantly since planting last year, more than I expected. Sources say it is slow growing, but here, not particularly so.
The Leucophyllum finds an agreeable companion in Agave titanota 'White Ice'. Blueish silver, greyish silver, whitish silver.
Greenish silver, Agave ovatifolia is about 29" wide now. The baby Oak is beginning to shade it, but the Agave will bloom long before the Oak becomes large enough to shade it all day. Agaves in habitat are frequently found on slopes in open pine and oak forests at higher elevations. It seems to feel right at home here.
A look back at the 'Vanzie' version of A. ovatifolia at a local garden center. Oooh what a beautiful species is ovatifolia!
Silver is soothing, elegant, cool...
Silver is, can we say, golden?
I love every plant you showed here! Silver is a great accent color which I think gets a bit weird when everything is that color.
ReplyDeleteI think all-silver works better here, where the light is much more harsh. It worked also very well in one of the PDX Fling gardens--grey sky, silver plants...remember that one? 2nd to last one.
DeleteSilver /gray is always interesting to see and what beauty you captured is inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patsi!
DeleteIs that Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon' with the protea? The 2 plants make a splendid combination. I've become fond of Dichondra 'Silver Falls' too. Although doesn't look nearly as good as yours, I've been surprised at how well it handles dry conditions.
ReplyDeleteYes 'Moon Lagoon'. They look better together than I expected--happy luck. The 'Silver Falls' is unhappy in a pot here, but pretty happy in the ground, even dry ground.
DeleteThey're all beautiful! Could easily fill a garden with silver leaved plants, cool to the eye and yet are hot plants at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThey hold up to the heat well, too.
DeleteSilver that you don't have to polish...that's for me. I may steal your silver (but only the idea).
ReplyDeleteDon't have to polish. Good one! :)
DeleteIntrigued by Craspedia globosa since seeing the Danger Garden-er use it in arrangements, but hadn't realized about the silver tuft-y foliage. Most excellent!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Loree, I imagine she's going to find it hard to tear her eyes away from that beguilingly two-toned Agave; I keep going back to it, and I'm not even an agavist.
This is one of the summers that reminds me why I don't go in more heavily for silver foliage -- we're now not even getting drying-off spells between showers, and dampness is beginning to oppress everything that doesn't absolutely revel in moisture. My poor lavenders -- wrong year to start again with them. Got to focus on how happy the trees and bigger shrubs must be; the alternate-leaf dogwood appears about to burst into song. So there's that.
It's soothing to see such a great array of silver forms and variations on the theme in a climate that suits them. What's the plant arching above the Protea in the second-to-last picture?
Yes, silver foliage plants are difficult in damp climates...but it must be nice to have not-drought. No need to drag a hose around, or avert eyes from dried-up flowers.
DeleteThat arch is Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon', a shrub Euc rather than a towering tree.
It's been a godsend not to have to drag a hose around. And at this time of year we almost always have to avert eyes from phlox and peonies due to mildewed foliage -- but for once, it's all still clean. Bears out the idea that the important thing is to get enough water to the roots, then they can handle dampness above. I can almost never deliver that much with the hose, but torrential rains in June & July appear to have done the trick.
DeleteOn the downside, Alliums and other bulbs not getting the baking they need for great performance next season, but I'll take the tradeoff.
Sounds lovely! There's still time left for some baking...if that is any comfort.
DeleteDear Hoover, I agree with Alan, every plant shown here is beautiful, the Leucophylum is lovely and the silver foliage of the Craspedia looks lovely with the yellow flowers.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo. ❤️
Thank you Dianne. The Leucophyllum is a favorite.
DeleteSilver is the best. I love so many of these plants but the Leucophyllum and Agave titanota combination is my favorite. Still looking for Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon'. My "it" plant at the moment...
ReplyDeleteHope you find it soon. I really like mine.
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