About
Centaurea 'Silver Feather' is a herbaceous perennial characterized by its dense silvery hairs covering the leaves and stems. This plant develops a bushy clump of finely divided foliage that reaches heights of 30 to 40 cm. It produces flowers from early to late summer, with slender stems that rise above the leaves, supporting buds surrounded by overlapping bracts. These buds eventually open to reveal thistle-like flowers in a pale lilac-pink hue.
About the genus
Centaurea includes annuals, perennials, and subshrubs, characterized by simple or pinnately lobed foliage and prominent flower heads resembling thistles, frequently featuring enlarged outer florets.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in almost any well-drained soil in full sun. May be deciduous in cooler regions. Protect from excess winter wet and hard frosts
- Pruning
- Deadhead to encourage more flowers
- Propagation
- Propagate by division, separating rhizomes in autumn
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to downy mildews, powdery mildews and rust diseases