PlantFiles: Snow-In-Summer
Cerastium tomentosum

This plant grows well is dry windy spots where others fail. It blooms reliably and spreads slowly.

Las Vegas, NV
This plant does well in spite of our summer heat, providing it receives regular (daily in summer) watering and shade in the mid- and late-afternoon. Surprisingly, it has survived year after year.

We have had this plant covering a small hillside that nothing else would grow in, and it's proven to be the right plant for the job. During heavy winters (170" snow or more) it has a tendency to thin out, however, it's a prolific re-seeder, and bounces back quite nicely. There are two cultivers that I know of. The more aggresive variety has larger leaves (1 1/2") and has a 'looser', more relaxed look, and covers quickly. The other strain has 1" leaves, and grows slow and tight. This is a handy little plant, but it will need more water in dry, west side plantings verses east side plantings. We have much better luck with the larger leaf variety.

Upon moving into our recently renovated 1920's home in Oscoda MI, we needed to plant something that would grow without much fuss on the outside of our fence, between fence and sidewalk. We planted Snow-in-Summer & Russian Sage, alternating three SIS in downward "V" and three RS in upward "V". The result was AMAZING! Beautiful mounds of SNOW half the summer and sprays of lavender sage the other half. It was such a pleasant surprise the first year but when they all came back by themselves without much tending the second year and gave an even MORE spectacular show...well, we were thrilled! The only warning I would give new owners of SIS is to remove any leaves, etc. from atop the green as soon as the snow melts. The leaves will kill the plants quickly.

I love Snow-In-Summer for a contrast plant; it looks so nice next to a red or purple leaved plant. Light aids germination of seeds.

Blooms mid May to mid June in my garden.

My single plant has grown to a mat of 25x35 inches, in full sun in a hot dry climate with regular watering. It might have done better if it had more shade since my sun is very intense. I'm thinking of moving it since I want to get another plant or two so I can put a small childs sled in the patch to make it look even more like snow in summer. When I get that set up I will take a picture and post it here.

I have a large mound of this growing under a pine tree on a slope in front of my house. It's a pretty shady location, but it blooms OK. The problem is that it isn't spreading out, but mounding up. Pine-needles are falling on it and making it like a big mulch pile. I thought I might trim it down lower but I'm afraid the roots might be growing higher in the mound and the original roots below have died out, as it seems to be pretty shallow rooted. This is an old house that I'm renting so I have no idea how long it has been growing there. I'm free to do most any thing I want with the landscape (or what little of it there is!). I'd like to keep it growing, but I think part of the pile might be an ant hill, as there are lots of red ants on this tree ( thank god we don't have fire ants or I'd be dead by now!)

A tough plant, snow in summers gives a great low water grey carpet in cooler zones. Will not tolerate excessive heat or humidity. Its small single white flowers virtually cover the entire plant in summer resembling snow on the mat of foliage. Good border plant. Grow in full sun. pokerboy.

An old perennial favorite, they are the silver-gray back drop to my Tiger and Asiatic lilies and bulbs. It comes back from slumber ready to bloom its head off... We found this groundcover in some neglected beds in our 30 year old garden, it seems that it likes our brutal Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) winters. I grow it on the edges of my raised planters and it tends to make its way to the centre, yet the shallow roots are easy to pull out, and everyone likes getting them! It approves of bone meal, transplants beautifully and is quite forgiving, as long as it has full sun. I mulch it with fresh peat moss in spring, and it makes them grow taller and softer.

This is an awesome plant for those who are not limited by space! Here in New Hampshire USA, I have never watered it, and it grows in both fertile and non-fertile soil! Here is a beautiful accidental combination I ended up with: In a hurry to plant the pieces of the plant that were given to me I quickly threw them into a bed in which I had planted some tulips in late fall. In the spring, I had these beautiful tall white lily flowering tulips above a dense carpet of white cerastium! Breathtaking! The foliage is great for a moon garden as it is silver and glows in the twilight! No care except occasional weeding as it does form a dense mat and even spreads into the lawn a bit which I love! You can mow right over it!

Snow-In-Summer is mat-forming, and is known for it's profuse blooming in late spring/early summer. Dainty, white flowers, with wooly, white leaves. Plants spread to about 24", making it the perfect groundcover. It does not tolerant heat nor humidity, and can become invasive in fertile soil. Divide in spring or fall, every two years.