PLANT FOCUS | CUSHION BUSH

Leucophyta brownii has a bit of a spell on me. I keep coming back to it, and I consider it one of my plant-palette heroes. I like its silvery foliage that looks a little bit like coral, and the way its sculptural form sits comfortably amongst both hardscape and a diverse range of other plants. It's the only species in its genus, so there's really nothing else quite like it. The soft, textured silver foliage creates contrast in the garden - whether planted against dark mulch and basalt, or woven through grasses and perennials. Different forms can be as small as a 400mm blob, or a bush in the region of a metre tall and wide.

Growing conditions

Full sun and well-drained soil are best, but I have some at home that have handled Coburg's clay. It can take summers once established, although it benefits from occasional deep watering through extended dry periods. Generally low-maintenance, though it can be short-lived in heavy or poorly-drained soils.

In the garden

What makes Leucophyta brownii particularly useful is how comfortably it sits with different materials. It's just as at home nestled against rock, brick, steel, or sleepers as it is amongst softer plantings of grasses or perennials. That textural quality - somewhere between hardscape and softscape - makes it an effective contrast plant throughout the garden.

It is worth noting that the underside foliage can brown off and die back as the plant matures. It's not guaranteed, but it happens. To overcome this I like to plant tussocky grasses nearby to hide any browning - they work well together anyway.