Artemisia Schmidtiana - Silver Mound

Artemisia Schmidtiana - Silver Mound is a captivating perennial prized for its distinctive silver-gray foliage that forms perfect mounded cushions in the garden landscape. This compact artemisia variety creates soft, touchable mounds of finely textured, aromatic foliage that maintain their shape throughout the growing season. The feathery, silver leaves catch the light beautifully, adding luminous highlights to rock gardens, borders, and container plantings. Drought-tolerant and easy to grow, Silver Mound thrives in sunny locations with minimal care, making it an excellent choice for both novice and experienced gardeners seeking reliable, attractive perennial accents.

Key Features:

- Forms perfect silver-gray mounds that provide exceptional texture and color contrast in perennial gardens.

- Maintains a compact, uniform growth habit reaching 10-12 inches tall and 12-15 inches wide at maturity.

- Delivers outstanding drought tolerance once established, making it ideal for water-wise landscaping projects.

- Creates stunning visual impact when mass planted or used as edging along garden paths and borders.

- Deters deer and rabbits with its aromatic foliage, reducing garden damage from wildlife browsing.

- Serves as an excellent companion plant for flowering perennials, providing season-long interest even when other plants aren't blooming.

Plant Care Instructions

1. Light Requirements:

- Thrives in full sun locations with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

- Tolerates partial shade but may become leggy with reduced silver coloration.

- Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal in hotter climates.

2. Watering:

- Water thoroughly when first planted until established.

- Once established, water only during prolonged drought periods.

- Avoid overhead watering which can damage the delicate foliage and cause center rot.

3. Soil Type:

- Prefers well-draining, lean soil with moderate to poor fertility.

- Thrives in sandy or gravelly soil conditions with good drainage.

- Add coarse sand or small gravel to improve drainage in heavier soils.

4. Temperature & Hardiness Zone:

- Hardy to Zone 3b with excellent cold tolerance.

- Withstands winter temperatures down to –37 °C when properly established.

- No special winter protection needed in Zone 3b gardens.

5. Fertilizer:

- Apply light application of balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring.

- Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers which promote floppy growth.

- Over-fertilization reduces silver coloration and compact habit.

6. Pruning & Maintenance:

- Trim back by one-third in early spring to rejuvenate growth and maintain shape.

- Shear lightly in mid-summer if plants begin to look untidy or open in the center.

- Divide every 3-4 years to prevent center die-out and maintain vigor.

7. Special Notes:

- Contains compounds that may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

- Highly deer and rabbit resistant due to aromatic foliage.

- In Zone 3b, trim plants back in late fall and avoid winter moisture accumulation to prevent crown rot.