I have this plant in my hanging basket.
What is it - is it hardy - what is its natural habitat ie rockery, ground
cover or whatever?
http://www.jimscot.myby.co.uk/plant.html
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
www.jimscott.co.uk

On 2009-09-17 22:12:57 +0100, Jim S said:

I have this plant in my hanging basket.
What is it - is it hardy - what is its natural habitat ie rockery, ground
cover or whatever?
http://www.jimscot.myby.co.uk/plant.html

Looks like a Helichrysum to me, perhaps H. italicum. Does it have any
kind of scent? If that's what it is, it needs no frost, sun, sharp
drainage etc. But if you have somewhere to keep it over winter that is
dry, frost free and light you could try propagating it from seed or
cuttings - if it's what I think it is.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Jim, it is Calocephalus (formerly Leucophyta) brownii - sometimes
known as the 'Cushion bush' or 'Silver bush'. An Australian native of
coastal dunes and cliff faces, it thrives in full sun and prefers
sharply drained, sand or gritty soils. Although it can form a wiry
mound up to nearly 1m. high, it is usually seen as a low tangle of
silvery white stems less than half that height. As far as hardiness is
concerned, Calocephalus can tolerate only the very the occasional,
light, short-lived frost, but really needs dry conditions if it is to
survive low temperatures. Very easy to raise from cuttings BTW.
Insert pieces of stems (preferably with a heel) into a very gritty
compost during late summer and roots form in a few weeks. Very young
plants are best overwintered at around 5C.

On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:37:37 -0700 (PDT), DaveP wrote:

Jim, it is Calocephalus (formerly Leucophyta) brownii - sometimes
known as the 'Cushion bush' or 'Silver bush'. An Australian native of
coastal dunes and cliff faces, it thrives in full sun and prefers
sharply drained, sand or gritty soils. Although it can form a wiry
mound up to nearly 1m. high, it is usually seen as a low tangle of
silvery white stems less than half that height. As far as hardiness is
concerned, Calocephalus can tolerate only the very the occasional,
light, short-lived frost, but really needs dry conditions if it is to
survive low temperatures. Very easy to raise from cuttings BTW.
Insert pieces of stems (preferably with a heel) into a very gritty
compost during late summer and roots form in a few weeks. Very young
plants are best overwintered at around 5C.

Thanks Dave.
Spot on.
It's weird - no sign of chlorophyll or real flowers.
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
www.jimscott.co.uk

Jim S wrote:

Thanks Dave.
Spot on.
It's weird - no sign of chlorophyll or real flowers.

Ah, but if you very, very carefully peeled away the silver indumentum
on the stems or tore back one of the scale-like leaves, you'd see the
chlorophyll. There's plenty there - it's just covered to protect the
soft tissues from burning in the intense light of its natural habitat
as well as preventing excess transpiration in dry, windy conditions.
The real flowers are those button-like heads. They form hard,
spherical masses composed of many hundreds of tightly packed florets.
It is related to the Asters and Chrysanths and is only lacking the
outer ring of ray florets to show its alliance with the rest of the
daisy family.

Jim, I've noticed you're up in Tyne & Wear. Best bring it under cover
for the winter in your part of the world. A frost free or gently
heated, brightly lit position will suit it well. Just keep it
sufficiently moist to prevent total drying out. It is well worth over-
wintering since 2nd. year plants make very handsome mounds of silvery
stems.