Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria)

Dusty Miller Plant Features

Dusty miller is an easy-to-grow, old-fashioned favorite annual garden plant. It features leaves covered in soft, silvery hairs -- these hairs help it to resist drought and hold up to hot conditions like a champ. The silvery color is a neutral in the garden, so you can count on dusty miller to look attractive next to any annual or perennial you plant it with. Dusty miller will grow 12 to 18 inches tall.

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Dusty Miller Growing Instructions

Dusty miller grows best in full, hot sun, but also tolerates light shade, making it one of the more versatile annuals you can plant in your landscape or container gardens.

This plant holds up to drought better than most other annual flowers, too. It grows best in moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter, such as compost. Don't let dusty miller stay wet too long; it can cause the plant to rot.

Pruning typically isn't necessary, though if you find your dusty miller gets bigger than you'd like, you can pinch off the top inch of two of new growth. This will help encourage a fuller, tidier plant. The stems and leaves will die when exposed to freezing temperatures, so if you live in a cold-winter climate, you can cut it back to the ground after the first killing freeze. 

Dusty miller doesn't need fertilizer in most soil types, though if you'd like it to grow bigger and faster, you can use a general-purpose fertilizer, following the directions on the product packaging. 

Dusty miller is not recommended for human or animal consumption.

  • Water

    Low water needs

  • Light

    Outside: Sun

  • Colors

    Silver

  • Special Features

    Colorful foliage

Complement your Dusty Miller

Begonia
A container packed with Wax Begonia and Dusty Miller looks terrific all summer long in sun or partial shade.

Calibrachoa
The silver foliage of Dusty Miller complements almost any color of Calibrachoa.

Petunia
Use Dusty Miller as a color foil around more brightly colored petunia varieties.