Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Dwarf Plumbago, Blue Leadwood, Leadwort)
Botanical Information
Family | Plumbaginaceae |
Genus | Ceratostigma |
Species | plumbaginoides |
Category | Perennials |
Origin | Native to Western China. |
Pronunciation |
Details
USDA Hardiness Zone | 5 |
USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
Canadian Hardiness Zone | 4 - 6a |
Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
RHS Hardiness Zone | H7 - H5 |
RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
Temperature (°C) | -20 to -15 |
Temperature (°F) | -20 - (-10) |
Height | 15 - 30 cm |
Spread | 30 - 38 cm |
Growth | Medium |
Flowering Period | July, August, September, October |
Description and Growing Information
General Description | Low-growing herbaceous perennial. |
ID Characteristic | A dense mat of stems carrying oval leaves and blue flowers. |
Shape | Mat-forming, spreading. |
Landscape | Banks, slopes, city, cottage/informal, beds, borders, and Mediterranean landscapes. |
Propagation | Propagate by division, cutting or by layering. |
Cultivation | Plant in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. It is slow to emerge in the spring. |
Pests | Powdery mildew. |
Notable Specimens | The A. M. Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
Leaf Description | Oval leaves which turn red or purple in autumn. |
Flower Description | Bright blue flowers in late summer where the nectar is particularly attractive to butterflies. |
Photographs
Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, form.
![Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, leaf. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. 15/10/2019. Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, leaf. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. 15/10/2019.](photos/Ceratostigma-plumbagnoides-lf.jpg)
Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, leaf. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. 15/10/2019.
![](photos/Ceratostigma-plumbagnoides-flw.jpg)
Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, flower.
![](photos/Colchicum-Giant-frm-1.jpg)
![Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, form. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. 15/10/2019. Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, form. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. 15/10/2019.](photos/Ceratostigma-plumbagnoides-frm.jpg)
Ceratostigma plumbagnoides, form. Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. 15/10/2019.
Awards
![](images/RHS_logo.jpg)