Artemisia stelleriana Boughton Silver

Artemisia stelleriana 'Boughton Silver', also known as beach wormwood or silvery wormwood, displays silver, downy, almost white evergreen leaves in mild climates. They are deeply lobed, resembling the foliage of silver ragwort. Summer flowering with small yellow flowers on slender branches. This compact, medium-sized creeping wormwood pairs particularly well with spring bulbs.

Beach wormwood is a perennial rhizomatous plant of the Asteraceae family, cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is native to Northeast Asia. 'Boughton Silver' is a hybrid. This wormwood has a cushion-like habit and forms a ground cover reaching a height of 15 cm (6in) with a spread of 40 cm (16in). Its growth is relatively fast, and the weight of the foliage causes the 40 cm (16in) stems to bend towards the ground, resembling a silver carpet. The foliage is aromatic, thick, palmately lobed, and serrated. In mild climates, it takes on lovely orange or pink hues before disappearing. The yellow flowers, appearing in August, are not particularly ornamental. They are tubular, gathered in tiny heads. The heads themselves are arranged in slender spikes.

Plant 'Boughton Silver' seaside wormwood in full sun, in light, well-drained, even sandy soil. Preferably plant it in spring or early autumn, adding two handfuls of coarse sand or gravel at the base. It is perfectly hardy. Like most wormwoods, it will not live long in heavy soil, even if well-drained. Under good growing conditions, this plant can aggressively spread through rhizomes and self-seeding, occupying large spaces in the garden. To maintain a compact habit, prune the plant's foliage at least once a year to remove flower heads that do not enhance its appearance.

Wormwoods are delicate plants, with beautiful, contrasting foliage, and fleeting blooms. 'Boughton Silver' beach wormwood is perfect for the front of a dry bed, white gardens, and scented gardens. It offers some of the whitest foliage one can find. This colour brings a lot of brightness to a dark corner, even softening loud colours. This plant will provide a backdrop for spring bulbs and other perennials such as purple coneflower or 'Autumn Joy' sedum. Its reflective properties can highlight a pathway and create a spectacular entrance near the house. It is also superb in borders, paving, rockeries, and covering walls.