Gotta Have It: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

November 30, 2009 · Filed under perennials · Tagged ceratostigma plumbaginoides, groundcover

I know, it is a bit of a mouthful, but just think how clever you will sound when you go to the garden centre and ask for ceratostigma plumbaginoides.  They probably won’t know what you are talking about as I find this plant is very under appreciated. 

The common name for it is Blue Leadwort, but I do not find that gets any understanding looks either.  This is a plant that I picked up many years ago at Vineland Nurseries, and not even when it was in flower.  I just thought it had very attractive shiny foliage and it was a nice edger/ground cover.  But when it flowered in late August, I was hooked, brilliant blue (think plumbago, but even more intense).  The best part was how long the blooms lasted and how in September, when we started getting some cold nights, the foliage went scarlet!  My, was it gorgeous.

Since then, I have had this plant in every garden I have owned.  It is hardy zones 5-9 and grows by underground stolons, but I do not find it invasive.  It is late to come up in spring, which means that I plant it over my early bulbs, they flower, then ceratostigma comes up and hides that ratty foliage.

Early July

 Here it is planted over muscari.  You can see that it has hidden all the foliage and I really should have pulled out those seed heads before I took the pictured.

  

I do think the colour looks a little washed out in this photo, in real life it is more of an intense blue.

This is a plant that I will never be without in my garden.