White sage 'Valerie Finnis'
Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' · Asteraceae
Upright stems of broad, felted, silver-white leaves, the whitest of the artemisias. It spreads by runners.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around white sage 'Valerie Finnis'
The planner designed this bed around white sage 'Valerie Finnis' 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 'Valerie Finnis' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 White sage 'Valerie Finnis' × 3, silver leaves
- 2 Cottage pinks × 16, pink
- 3 Heath aster 'Snow Flurry' × 3, white
- 4 Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' × 3, tan
- 5 Stiff goldenrod × 3, yellow
- 6 Leadplant × 1, purple
- 7 Star of Persia × 3, purple
- 8 Grape hyacinth × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The only medium leaves here. The rest are fine and bold. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- In the middle. At 24 in it is the step between cottage pinks (12 in) in front and little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' (3½ ft) and leadplant (2½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 14 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 7 groups (86%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation' and stiff goldenrod anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 46% of the visual weight and the right half 54%.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
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 'Valerie Finnis' goes in a border
At 24 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
Almost white, so it works like white flowers that last all season. It runs, though less than its parent; contain it, or plant it among tough grasses that can hold their own.
- Bright silver among hot colours
- Dry, poor soil
- Cut foliage
What to plant with white sage 'Valerie Finnis'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Russian sage: adds the flowers, mid July to mid September; tall enough (4 ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
- Purple coneflower: adds the flowers, late June to early September.
- Little bluestem: happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about white sage 'Valerie Finnis'
Does white sage 'Valerie Finnis' need sun or shade?
White sage 'Valerie Finnis' 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 'Valerie Finnis' 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 'Valerie Finnis' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many white sage 'Valerie Finnis' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is white sage 'Valerie Finnis' 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 'Valerie Finnis'?
These come closest to doing what white sage 'Valerie Finnis' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Common blanket flower: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid June to early September.
- Red valerian: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers late May to early September.
- Sunset hyssop: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid July to mid September, fine leaves, not medium.
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 'Valerie Finnis'?
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 'Valerie Finnis' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners and can crowd its neighbours. Dig out the edges or divide every 2 to 3 years.
What does white sage 'Valerie Finnis' look like in winter?
White sage 'Valerie Finnis' 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 'Silver King' Artemisia ludoviciana 'Silver King'
- 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
- Garden plants native to Canada
- 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
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Medium 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.