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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

Can anyone recommend a shady-loving low silvery plant??

14 replies

Shinyandnew1 · 15/04/2023 15:56

I have some nice silvery ones but they either get quite tall (eg cineraria) or prefer the sun (festuca glauca, stachys).

OP posts:
loafintheoven · 15/04/2023 15:58

Hostas? I know there are loads of different varieties, so there's probably a silvery one ...

Phineyj · 15/04/2023 16:03

I quite like a bit of dead nettle myself. Prettier than the name suggests! Or several Festuca Glauca?

brambleberries · 15/04/2023 16:03

Lamium maculatum Beacon Silver (dead nettle), will grow in partial shade.

KnittedCardi · 15/04/2023 16:23

I have silver leafed brunneras. They are all up and sporting beautiful blue flowers at the moment. I also started with one, split it up last year and now have 12! Love a free plant.

Original poster
Shinyandnew1 · 15/04/2023 16:24

Brill-that’s three suggestions for lamium, I will try that, thank you!

I thought festuca glauca preferred the sun, @Phineyj or does it do just as well in shade?

OP posts:
Original poster
Shinyandnew1 · 15/04/2023 16:32

Thanks for those suggestions. The Artemisia looks like it might prefer full sun but the silvery heuchera is lovely!

OP posts:
Wonderfulcheapfalafel · 15/04/2023 18:30

Came on to say Lamium but can see that's already been suggested! Mine always covered in bees too x

Hazelnuttella · 15/04/2023 18:32

I came on to say dead nettle too!
I have one that’s spread beautifully in a dark corner of my garden.

DogInATent · 16/04/2023 09:01

Most silver plants will prefer the sun, the silver is an adaptation to survive in full sun and hot conditions - a plant in the shade can't afford to reflect light needed for photosynthesis!

Look for a variegated form of a typical shade loving plant where the white/pale variegations will give some of the brightness of a silver plant, or there are a couple of hostas with almost blue-metallic leaves.

Original poster
Shinyandnew1 · 16/04/2023 11:30

DogInATent · 16/04/2023 09:01

Most silver plants will prefer the sun, the silver is an adaptation to survive in full sun and hot conditions - a plant in the shade can't afford to reflect light needed for photosynthesis!

Look for a variegated form of a typical shade loving plant where the white/pale variegations will give some of the brightness of a silver plant, or there are a couple of hostas with almost blue-metallic leaves.

Ah, ok-that makes sense. Hosta tend to get utterly gobbled here, so I have given up on those, unfortunately.

OP posts:
userxx · 17/04/2023 22:14

KnittedCardi · 15/04/2023 16:23

I have silver leafed brunneras. They are all up and sporting beautiful blue flowers at the moment. I also started with one, split it up last year and now have 12! Love a free plant.

Beautiful plants.

BigMamaFratelli · 17/04/2023 22:19

Cerastium. There are fewer flowers in the shade, but it provides some beautiful ground cover.

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