Silver spurflower is an Australian native sub-shrub prized for its striking silver-frosted foliage rather than its flowers. This woody-based plant grows 24, 36 inches tall and equally wide, displaying soft, gray-green ovate leaves with scalloped edges and a fuzzy silvery coating that gives the plant its common name. Hardy to zones 10, 11, it produces upright flower spikes in July and August, but gardeners primarily grow it as a foliage specimen for its luminous, tactile presence. In cooler climates, it thrives as a summer annual, bringing texture and light to shaded garden corners.
Partial Shade
Moderate
10-11
36in H x 36in W
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Moderate
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The silvery pubescence covering every leaf catches light in a way that few foliage plants achieve, creating an almost luminous quality in partial shade. Native to Australia, this sub-shrub tolerates heat, humidity, and some soil dryness once established, yet performs best with consistent moisture and good drainage. Its woody base and upright habit give it architectural presence, while the 4-inch leaves with their distinctive scalloped edges add fine texture to containers, borders, or indoor plant collections.
Silver spurflower is grown almost entirely as an ornamental foliage plant. In warm climates (zones 10, 11), it serves as a year-round perennial accent in shaded beds and mixed borders. In cooler regions, gardeners cultivate it as a summer annual for containers, indoor plant displays, and shaded garden spaces where its silvery foliage brightens otherwise dim areas. The plant's tolerance for heat and humidity also suits it to tropical and subtropical garden designs.
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Transplant hardened-off seedlings or nursery plants outdoors after the last frost date in spring. Space plants 24, 36 inches apart to accommodate their mature spread. In zones 10, 11, plant in early spring or fall for year-round growth; in cooler regions, wait until soil has warmed and frost danger has passed.
Pinch flower buds to channel energy into foliage development and encourage a fuller, bushier form. In zones 10, 11, prune in early spring to remove any frost-damaged growth and shape the woody base. As a summer annual in cooler climates, minimal pruning is needed; simply remove dead leaves and spent flower spikes to maintain appearance.
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“Plectranthus argentatus hails from Australia, where it evolved in warm, dry-adapted ecosystems. The plant reached Western horticulture as a tender perennial valued for its distinctive foliage, where it has become a staple of shade gardens and container plantings in warm climates and a beloved summer annual in cooler regions.”