Variegation on the Green Theme - Part One: Re: Thanks for the neat article!

» Marge_Talt - Re: Thanks for the neat article!

In response to message posted by Cercis:

Hi Cercis....thanks for your kind words! I'm delighted you enjoyed the article and found some useful bits.

Actually, that link at the end of my articles goes to the page for becoming a member of the Suite....do you think I ought to make it a link to the garden community page? Hmmm...maybe I can add one direct to the community page as well.

Yes, many totally silver leaves are an optical illusion caused by the leaf hairs you mention. You have no idea how hard it is to scan such a leaf and have the silver show up - all you get is the actual green leaf color in a scan:-)

Stachys byzantina does do much better in sun than shade although it will grow in a fair amount of shade. I have it all over and would not be without it although it always succumbs to the mugs by this time of year and a nice wet year like we've had this year means I have many clumps of mush where it's rotted out. It is nasty but I wouldn't be without this plant as I love those fuzzy leaves!

You're right, too, about propagation of these silver leaf plants - I have better luck in pure sand sitting in a tray of water...you can't even enclose them in a plastic bag or they rot.

Interesting thing, tho' is that the silver leaf Pulmonaria also have rather fuzzy or maybe I should say 'bristly' leaves, yet in my climate require shade and a lot of moisture.. and don't rot from it....interesting.

-- posted by Marge_Talt