Is Cineraria a Perennial?
- Dusty miller is a native of the Mediterranean, preferring similar climates with warm, dry summers and mild winters. The plant may be grown as a perennial in USDA zones 8 to 10. In climates such as Florida, the plant may be grown as a winter annual. The plant typically perishes in hot, wet conditions. In cooler climates, dusty miller works well as a summer annual, where it will grow until winter frosts occur.
- For best results, plant dusty miller in a bright, full-sun location with well-draining soil. Once the plant's deep root system is established, dusty miller is quite drought tolerant. Established plants can benefit from water during extended summer dry periods. Newly planted specimens do best with regular watering, especially if soil is sandy. Hot, wet periods, such as the Florida rainy season, lead to rust disease, which often kills the plant.
- Dusty miller is sometimes grown as an edging plant for colorful summer annuals, where its silvery foliage provides a striking contrast. The plant is tolerant of containers, and may be potted or used in a window box. The leaves of the plant are sometimes clipped and used as a backdrop for cut flower arrangements. Dusty miller sometimes flowers in its second year, producing bright yellow blooms that are about an inch in diameter.
- Cineraria plants are widely available in commercial nurseries, where they are often sold in packs of six. Cultivars include "Cirrus," a variety that offers rounded, cloudlike foliage, and "Silver dust," a mounding variety. "Silver Lace" offers especially fine-textured foliage. All three cultivars grow to be between 6 to 12 inches tall. Perennial dusty millers that survive into a second growing season may grow to be as tall as 2 feet.
