Astelia chathamica Silver Spear Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Silver Spear

Astelia chathamica Silver Spear

£24.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingEvergreenRHS award winner
Pot size
19cm / 3L £24.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

The Astelia chathamica, widely known as Silver Spear, is one of the most striking architectural evergreens you can grow, forming a bold fountain of broad, arching, silvery metallic sword-like leaves that catch the light from right across the garden. Native to the wind-swept Chatham Islands of New Zealand, it brings cool, shimmering structure to architectural foliage plantings, gravel schemes and large containers alike.

Grown for its year-round presence, Silver Spear holds its metallic silver rosette through every season. It is rated RHS H3 and is reliably hardy in mild and coastal areas, where it shrugs off salt-laden wind and makes a superb specimen. In colder inland gardens it is worth planting in a sheltered spot with sharp drainage and applying a dry winter mulch to protect the crown through prolonged hard frosts. For a fuller picture of how hardy exotics behave across the seasons, see our guide on what to expect.

Water regularly through the first couple of summers to settle the roots, after which Silver Spear is impressively tolerant of dry spells and exposure. Its silvery tones make it a natural partner for coastal planting, dry and gravel gardens and bold exotic borders, while its compact, non-invasive habit makes it one of the best plants for pots and courtyard containers.

A first-class choice for anyone building a collection of hardy exotics, every Silver Spear we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy, well-coloured rosette and a strong root system, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Silver Spear

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Silver Spear

Astelia chathamica Silver Spear needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Coastal & Exposed Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H3 · Semi-hardy · down to around −5°C

hardy in mild and coastal gardens, worth shelter or a dry winter mulch in colder inland spots.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

full sun to partial shade, with the brightest silver colour developing in an open, sunny spot sheltered from cold, drying winds.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pHAlkaline pH

any humus-rich, free-draining soil, as sharp drainage in winter matters more than anything else.

Watering

Water regularly through the first two summers to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never sodden. Once established it copes well with dry spells and coastal exposure, and a spring mulch keeps the clump strong and well-coloured. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first two summers to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never sodden. Once established it copes well with dry spells and coastal exposure, and a spring mulch keeps the clump strong and well-coloured.

Mature size

Height1.2-1.5 m
Spread0.5-1 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

May-Jun

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No routine pruning. Simply pull or cut away dead, frost-damaged or discoloured leaves at the base through the year to keep the silver clump tidy.

Toxicity

No significant toxicity reported.

Native range

New Zealand (Chatham Islands)

Family

Asteliaceae

Also known as

Astelia chathamica Silver Spear

Genus

Astelia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear' hardy in the UK?

Silver Spear is rated RHS H3, which makes it reliably hardy in mild and coastal gardens where it copes with salt-laden wind and light frost. In colder inland areas give it a sheltered spot with sharp winter drainage and a dry mulch over the crown during prolonged hard frosts. Grown this way it keeps its silver rosette right through the year.

How big does Astelia Silver Spear grow?

Silver Spear is a slow, clump-forming evergreen that reaches around 1 to 1.5 m tall and 0.5 to 1 m across, taking roughly 5 to 10 years to reach full size. Its neat, non-invasive habit keeps it in proportion for years, so it suits a large container as well as a border.

Where is the best place to plant Silver Spear?

Give Silver Spear a position in full sun to partial shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds, in any humus-rich, free-draining soil. The brightest metallic silver develops in an open, sunny spot. Its tolerance of wind and poor soils makes it a natural choice for coastal planting and bold architectural foliage schemes.

Can Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear' be grown in pots?

Yes. Its compact, clump-forming habit and shallow roots make Silver Spear one of the best plants for pots and courtyard containers. Use a free-draining, loam-based compost, keep it watered through summer, and in colder inland gardens move the pot to a sheltered spot or wrap it during severe frosts.

Is Silver Spear evergreen?

Silver Spear is fully evergreen. It holds its fountain of broad, arching, metallic silver leaves through all four seasons, giving structure and light to the garden in winter when little else does. Simply remove any frost-tattered leaves in spring to keep the rosette looking sharp.

Is Astelia Silver Spear toxic to pets or children?

There is no significant toxicity reported for Astelia chathamica, and it is grown purely for its foliage rather than for any fruit or flower. As with any garden plant it is sensible to discourage pets and children from chewing the leaves, whose firm edges can cause minor physical irritation.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Astelia chathamica Silver Spear
£24.99