White sage 'Silver King'
Artemisia ludoviciana 'Silver King' · Asteraceae
Upright stems of slender, bright silver leaves that smell of sage, much used for wreaths and dried arrangements.
- Size
- 3 ft tall, 3 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late July to late August
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Weaver
A bed built around white sage 'Silver King'
The planner designed this bed around white sage 'Silver King' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why white sage 'Silver King' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 White sage 'Silver King' × 1, silver leaves
- 2 Winter heath × 8, pink
- 3 Sea thrift × 7, white
- 4 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
- 5 Blue oat grass × 1, tan
- 6 Wild quinine × 5, white
- 7 Saffron crocus × 12, purple
- 8 Schubert's allium × 3, pink
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- In the middle. At 3 ft it is seen over winter heath (10 in) in front of it.
- One plant. An accent is used singly, like a punctuation mark.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the six weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 4 of the 4 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Something is in flower for 39 weeks, from late January to early November. The back corners are held by wild quinine and brown-eyed Susan, the tallest plants on the plan.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 5 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: White sage 'Silver King' spreads aggressively. Each plant's details say more.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where white sage 'Silver King' goes in a border
At 3 ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium tall (2½ to 3 ft).
Its job: weaver. A light, airy plant threaded singly between sturdier ones to knit the planting together.
The best silver for cutting, and a vigorous runner: in a mixed bed it comes up through everything. Plant it in a sunk pot or a space of its own, in poor, dry soil.
- Silver foliage for cutting and wreaths
- Dry banks
- Confined beds between paving
What to plant with white sage 'Silver King'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Purple coneflower: adds the flowers, late June to early September.
- Little bluestem: happy in the same dry soil.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': adds the flowers, mid August to mid October; bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about white sage 'Silver King'
Does white sage 'Silver King' need sun or shade?
White sage 'Silver King' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does white sage 'Silver King' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should white sage 'Silver King' be planted?
24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 3 ft (90 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many white sage 'Silver King' plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as one at a time, threaded between sturdier plants.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is white sage 'Silver King' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in pets if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like white sage 'Silver King'?
These come closest to doing what white sage 'Silver King' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies': the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, flowers mid June to mid September.
- Rose campion: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, 6 in narrower.
- Mexican hat: the same job in a bed; 12 in shorter, 10 in narrower.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat white sage 'Silver King'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will white sage 'Silver King' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads aggressively by underground runners and comes up among its neighbours. Contain it with a barrier or a sunk pot.
What does white sage 'Silver King' look like in winter?
White sage 'Silver King' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
More Artemisia
- Beach wormwood 'Silver Brocade' Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade'
- Silver mound artemisia Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana'
- Southernwood Artemisia abrotanum
- White mugwort Artemisia lactiflora
- White sage 'Valerie Finnis' Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis'
- Wormwood 'Powis Castle' Artemisia 'Powis Castle'
In these guides
- Plants for wet soil and rain gardens
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Deer-resistant perennials for full sun
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Drought-tolerant perennials for full sun
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Silver and grey-leaved plants
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 3 ft (90 cm) tall, 3 ft (90 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium tall (2½ to 3 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Late July to late August; airy sprays; yellow
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; silver
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Comes from
- North America
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, wet soil, poor soil, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.