‘Silver Shield’ Plectranthus Brightens Dry Shade Gardens and Pots
Grow ‘Silver Shield’ plectranthus as a foliage accent in shade gardens or containers; it also makes a low-maintenance houseplant where it’s not hardy
'Silver Shield' plectranthus (Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield') is a tender subshrub grown for its broad, bright silver leaves, which are covered with a velvety fuzz. Like many silvery, furry plants, it tolerates drought very well, but unlike such other plants, it grows well in shade. Although 'Silver Shield' is not hardy in much of the United States, it is a quick grower that can be treated as an annual plant. It's also happy to winter indoors as a houseplant, where it may even flower.
Common name: 'Silver Shield' plectranthus
Botanical name: Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield'
Origin: The species is native to eastern Australia. The cultivar 'Silver Shield' is of unknown origin but recognized as a robust but compact strain with excellent foliage.
Flowers: Spikes of salvia-like white to pale purple flowers may appear in late summer to autumn. Plants being wintered indoors are also known to occasionally produce flowers in fall or winter.
Foliage: The foliage lives up to the cultivar name of 'Silver Shield' in both color and shape. Each leaf bears a fuzzy coating that makes this plant a good addition to a garden for the senses or an elevated pot. It's hard to resist petting the leaves! The foliage also makes a nice addition to fresh-cut flower arrangements—and the stems will root in the vase if given time.
Related: Swap 'Silver Shield' into one of the recipes in "Foliage-Focused Container Garden Ideas for Summer"
Size and habit: This is a mounding, woody evergreen subshrub that can reach between two and three feet tall and wide in one growing season.
Growing 'Silver Shield' plectranthus
Exposure: Part shade to shade
Related: Check out Angel Wings senecio as an alternative to 'Silver Shield' for full sun
How to grow it: Plant 'Silver Shield' in at least partial shade, avoiding full sun. It needs good drainage and fertile soil. Its moisture requirements are moderate to low. This is a heat-loving, humidity-tolerant plant that grows quickest once temperatures warm in early summer. It responds well to trimming; cut back to a leaf joint to encourage branching or to harvest foliage as a bouquet filler.
Where it isn't hardy, it can be kept over the winter as a houseplant in a cool, bright spot. 'Silver Shield' plectranthus is easy to propagate by seed sown indoors in spring or from stem cuttings taken at any time of year. These root quickly in water and offer an alternative to moving an entire plant indoors for the winter—simply root a few cuttings before the last frost to keep as smaller houseplants until spring. USDA Zones 10–11.
