Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’ (White Sage)

Grown for its luminous silver foliage, Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’ (White Sage) is an upright herbaceous perennial that forms a compact, bushy clump of lance-shaped, silvery-white leaves with irregularly cut margins. The aromatic foliage is softly woolly and retains its striking color throughout the growing season, bringing light, texture, and contrast to borders and combining beautifully with a wide range of flowering perennials.

The species Artemisia ludoviciana is a documented larval host plant for the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis). Caterpillars feed on the foliage and may create silk-bound shelters among the leaves. Host records are generally published for the species rather than individual cultivars, but ‘Valerie Finnis’ retains the same species foliage and can contribute useful caterpillar habitat in wildlife-friendly plantings.

In summer, upright stems may carry small yellow-gray flower heads. They are relatively inconspicuous compared with the foliage and may be removed to keep the plant tidy and reduce self-seeding. More compact and generally less aggressive than the species and some other cultivars, ‘Valerie Finnis’ is especially useful where a controlled mound of silver foliage is desired.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Grows about 18-24 in. tall and wide (45-60 cm).
• May spread by rhizomes and self-seeding, but is generally less vigorous than the species and some other cultivars.
• This foliage plant thrives in full sun and poor to moderately fertile, dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soils.
• Excellent drainage is essential. White Sage may decline in heavy, persistently wet soil.
• Excellent as a foliage accent in beds and borders, herb gardens, city gardens, coastal gardens, and cottage gardens.
• The foliage can provide food and shelter for American Lady caterpillars.
• Generally pest and disease free and tolerant of drought, deer, and rabbits.
• Cut old stems back to the base in late fall or early spring.
• Remove flower heads before seed develops if self-seeding is not desired.
• Propagate by division in autumn or spring.