Dusty miller

What the dusty miller means

Dusty miller takes its name from its leaves, which are covered in fine white hairs and look as though they have been dusted with flour, like a miller's clothes. It is a Mediterranean coastal plant, long grown as a bedding annual, and it came into wide use in bouquets as silvery, textural greens grew popular. It has no established traditional meaning, and florists use it mainly for its color and texture. Several unrelated silver-leaved plants have also been sold under the name dusty miller, so the label is not always a reliable guide to what you have.

Flower meanings come mostly from Victorian floriography, and they vary between books, eras, and cultures.

Often sent for

• Sympathy
• Just because
• Thank you
• Anniversary

By colour

• Silver Used for its frosty color rather than any traditional meaning.
• Silver green Often chosen for soft, wintry arrangements.