Cineraria maritima. It is a hardy, short lived perennial that is often grown as an annual in summer bedding displays to set off the colours of bright flowers such as red salvias or pink begonias.

although grown for their silver foliage, they do produce clusters of yellow flowers.

It's a pretty common plant....i would suggest you go to a different garden centre if all the staff can't identify it !!!!

Could not agree more, any Garden centre worker worth their salt should know this plant.

this is such a common plant; shame on the garden centres!

Hmm, well if only that were true Owdboggy - most of our local garden centres have only one person who's knowledgeable about plants, and some don't have anyone at all, the ordering is done centrally elsewhere, so most of the staff are the equivalent of retail employees, that is, shop workers. I suspect its more of an issue in and around London and the South East than other parts of the country though. Here, its a minimum wage job ... you pay peanuts, you get monkeys...

I can't believe that a garden centre didn't know the name of such a common bedding plant. That is really disgraceful!!! Thank goodness I live in the North East and not in the South, Bamboo!!

I trust that Shazziepx actual means a garden center rather than a nursery!!!!!

I must add that if it's a nursery and not a garden centre, then they might not know because nurseries usually specialise in specific types of plants, so they might not be too knowledgeable of other types. That's why I always try to use nurseries that specialise in a narrow range of plants, like soft fruits, apples, pears, etc. Although I pay a bit more, I am assured that they have been grown and looked after correctly, the nurseryman's knowledge is usually exceptional and he is only too pleased to give advise.

I have noticed lately that garden centres like B&Q and others are getting better and now usually employ at least one knowledgeable or experienced person in each relevant section to answer questions. This can only be a good thing.

Doreenmartin: I have lost count of the times I've been at the garden centre and some poor soul is being given the wrong advice about a plant - I can't stop myself from intervening and giving the correct info... usually after the (often very young) member of staff has departed to spare their blushes.

Hi, actually the most up to date name for this is Senecio cineraria, other names that it is synonymous with are Cineraria maritima, Senecio bicolor subsp, cineraria, S candicans, and S maritima, so really it's no wonder they didn't know the name at the garden centre, they probably just couldn't be bothered going through the list, Derek.