Silverbush (Bush morning glory) care

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Full sun with a south- or west-facing aspect is essential; even partial shade causes the plant to become leggy and reduces flowering significantly. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for silverbush — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering silverbush: moderate in the growing season, minimal in winter. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water freely during spring and summer but drastically reduce watering from autumn onwards; plants in containers should be kept nearly dry through winter to prevent root rot.

Soil and pot

Silverbush grows best in well-drained chalk, loam, or sand; low to moderate fertility. Plant in gritty, poor soil — rich soil encourages lush but weak growth and the plant becomes short-lived; add grit or gravel to planting holes on heavier soils. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Silverbush sits happiest at around Low humidity and -10°C to 35°C (14°F to 95°F). Prefers the dry air of Mediterranean-type climates; sheltered from cold, drying winds in winter but does not want high humidity. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed silverbush sparingly. A light dressing of a low-nitrogen, balanced fertiliser in early spring is sufficient; avoid high-nitrogen feeds that promote soft growth. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on silverbush in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Root rot / winter wet — The leading cause of plant loss; ensure beds drain freely and consider raising plants on mounds or in containers in high-rainfall gardens.
• Honey fungus (Armillaria) — Occasionally susceptible; the RHS lists honey fungus as a rare but serious issue — remove and destroy infected plants and roots, and do not replant with susceptible species in the same spot.

Propagation

Take semi-ripe heel cuttings in mid- to late summer and root in free-draining, gritty compost in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Silverbush is mildly toxic to pets. Convolvulus cneorum is not listed on the ASPCA toxic plant database and multiple horticultural sources report no toxic effects. However, most ornamental Convolvulus contain alkaloids and the genus is related to plants known to cause gastrointestinal upset in livestock; because no explicit pet-safe confirmation from ASPCA exists, a mildly-toxic precautionary rating is applied. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Silverbush deep-dive guides

Every aspect of silverbush care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common silverbush problems & fixes
• Silverbush watering schedule
• Silverbush light requirements
• Best soil mix for silverbush
• Silverbush fertilizing guide
• When to repot silverbush
• How to propagate silverbush
• How to prune silverbush
• What's eating my silverbush?
• Silverbush growth rate & size
• Silverbush cold hardiness
• Silverbush temperature & humidity
• Is silverbush toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is silverbush toxic to cats?
• Is silverbush toxic to dogs?
• Getting silverbush to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Silverbush qualifies for 2 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Silverbush is also known as Silverbush, Bush morning glory, and Shrubby bindweed.

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