Could you tell me please if Dusty Miller and Snow in Summer are the same plant? Thank you!
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
Plants have common names and Latin names. There is no consistency with the common names. They can vary from region to region. Sometimes one name can mean two different plants and sometimes one plant can have several common names. This is the reason scientists rely on the Latin names. It is the best way to know you are always talking about the same plant.
What we call Dusty Miller here in Toronto is purchased at many local garden centers and is an annual. You will see it commonly in planters and gardens around the city. It usually will only last for the one season. It’s Latin name is Senecio cineraria. The following link shows the plant:
https://extension.illinois.edu/hortanswers/plantdetail.cfm?PlantID=766&PlantTypeID=1
Snow in Summer is a Perennial seen most often in rock gardens. Once planted it returns year after year. It’s Latin name is Cerastium tomentosum. The following link shows the plant:
https://extension.illinois.edu/hortanswers/plantdetail.cfm?PlantID=542&PlantTypeID=6
Here in Toronto they are two different plants but there may be locations where the same names are used for both.