Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum)
Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum) is a bedding plant that can grow 10cm – 50cm tall and 50cm – 1.5m wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum).
This plant has several common names including: dusty miller, snow-in-summer, Jerusalem star, snow plant or wooly mouse-ear chickweed.
This is a deciduous plant that takes 2-5 years to reach full maturity.
In this article
Plant profile
Common name: dusty miller, snow-in-summer, Jerusalem star, snow plant, wooly mouse-ear chickweed
Scientific name: Cerastium tomentosum
Plant type: Bedding, Perennials
Habit: Mat forming
Height: 10cm – 50cm
Spread: 50cm – 1.5m
Foliage: Deciduous
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: Rock & Gravel Garden
Planting type: Flower borders and bedding, Ground Cover
Seasonal colors
| Season | Stem | Foliage | Flower | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
How to plant Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum) – Buendia22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bedding plants are ideal for formal or informal flower beds, but also for growing in pots and containers of all kinds. They are important plants for their rapid growth, instant color and relatively low cost.
Other types of Cerastium to consider:
See all Cerastium
How to plant
In this section we will learn how to plant Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.
Soil
Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum) is a plant that adapts to all types of soils, chalk, clay, loam or sand.
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The chalky soil is pale and contains chunks of calcium-rich rock. It is a fertile and well-draining soil, almost always alkaline.
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Clay soil is composed of more than 25 percent clay particles. These particles have a high moisture holding capacity and the soil is heavy to dig and can be waterlogged in winter (dry in summer).
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The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.
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Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.
It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.
Regarding drainage, Cerastium tomentosum likes to grow in well drained soil.
Sunlight
Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum) should be grown in full sun places.
Cultivation profiles – Growing Dusty miller (Cerastium tomentosum) – Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
