Dusty miller

margsnow23

As a child about 60 years ago, my grandma had dusty miller all round the garden. These I think are auricular and have several purple flowers on stems about 6-8 inches tall. Now I am reading that Cineraria silver dust is being called dusty miller. The ones I know have silvery green thick leaves and nothing like silver dust.  

margsnow23

Dusty miller as i know it. Photo attached

Hostafan1

the joys of " common names" I'm afraid. 

Fairygirl

I'd never call those anything but [primula] auriculas 
As @Hostafan1 says, this is the problem with common names, and leads to all kinds of confusion when people look for advice on pruning/growing/propagating etc.
We see it on the forum all the time 

AnniD

I had never heard of auriculas being called "Dusty Miller" before @margsnow23 (or cineraria Silver Dust either !).
Whereabouts in the UK was this ? (Just a general location will do, you don't have to be too specific). 

Welcome to the forum by the way 

JennyJ

I know the Cineraria as Dusty Miller and the auriculas as auriculas

Best to use the proper name if asking for advice, or at least include a picture.

Dovefromabove

The Dusty Miller I knew lived in the next village and drove a pony and trap ... he came from a settled Romany family ... he was around 6'5" and had been in the Household Cavalry. 

There was a time when all folk called Miller were called Dusty Miller, and most things that were dusty were called Dusty Miller

nutcutlet

I think Dusty Miller is a cultivar name for some auriculas (red DM, Yellow DM etc) rather than a common name for auricula

Fairygirl

Dovefromabove said:

There was a time when all folk called Miller were called Dusty Miller, and most things that were dusty were called Dusty Miller

You been watching Camberwick Green again?   
Nah - that was Windy Miller, wasn't it? 

That would explain it @nutcutlet. It seemed an odd name otherwise 

Silver surfer

Quote Thompson and Morgan....
"Primula auricula is a yellow flowered plant of the high alps. Its leaves are comparatively thick and roundish in outline hence the common name 'bear's ears' and botanical name auricula. The leaves are often covered with a whitish meal which gives them the, better known, common name 'dusty millers'."

In USA seem to have that name as well.

https://www.heirloomplantnursery.co.nz/product/primula-auricula-dusty-millers

hogweed

I know the greyish auriculas as Dusty Miller.