A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 New Plant-What is it?

My son's girlfriend gave me this plant, she was going to let it die...I need to know what it is, so I can figure out how to save it or care for it. The leaf color is grayish green and the leaves are fuzzy.

Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) likes full sun and are drought tolerant. Dusty Miller blooms insignificant yellow flowers which I usually pinch off. Pinch new growth to encourage bushiness. I grow it in containers as a lovely contrast to darker or vivid colored plants but they do get large and have strong, quite aggressive root systems. Here (zone 8) they are perennials that don't go through winter dormancy.

From your photograph it appears you are growing Dusty Miller as a houseplant? I don't know how well they do indoors.

I did a search and I believe you are right about it being Dusty Miller. If it survives the winter, then I will put it outdoors in the spring and see what happens. I just didn't want to let the poor thing die if it could be saved.

If you keep it indoors for the winter place it in the sunniest location possible and let go moderately dry between waterings. It is a tough plant and from what I read in your posts, you know what you're doing so I'm sure you'll be able to keep it going til spring!

Comfrey , do you have a cold frame ? It would probably be happier there than in the house , as long as the frame is ventilated . I have an open frame that I keep potted hardy plants in until setting them out . I pile leaves around their pots .
Marian

I don't have a cold frame, I have plans to build one, but it is still in the planning stages...LOL The plant was living indoors at sons girlfriends house and she had it on a bottom shelf all the plants on the upper shelves were beautiful and very green healthy looking, I asked what that was on the bottom shelf and she said she couldn't remeber but she was going to let it sit there and die unless I wanted it, so I took the pitiful thing home, it was more then bone dry, so I watered it and this morning I placed it in the sunniest window I have, so we shall see what happens.