Pretty
indigo-purple flower clusters bloom from mid-summer to fall, creating a lavender speckled, lush green groundcover. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, commonly called Dwarf Plumbago, is a winter
dormant, woody-based perennial that offers
semi-evergreen foliage (1 1/2 inches long, 3/4 inches wide) that emerges burgundy in spring and later turns emerald green. In autumn, the foliage gets red-tinged once again offering a final spray of late season color.
Delightful as a filler for planter boxes and amidst rocky gardens, the sweet perennial is also ideal in mixed groupings. Known for its
moderate to
fast growth rate and
wide range of soil tolerance (with the exception of wet, poorly-drained soils), given
spread monitoring it may be used in rock gardens or
border fronts.
Dwarf Plumbago
resists deer,
controls erosion, and has a
weed-suppressive rating that ranges from good to excellent, making it as durable and long-lived as the big three (
English Ivy,
Pachysandra,
Vinca). In fact, Ceratostigma is often considered superior except for being less evergreen.
Dwarf Plumbago offers a small, bristly capsule fruit containing a single seed. Ranging from purpley-red to lilac to pink, the flowers and shifting shaded foliage drift in and out of the landscape creating a carpet of constant color unrivaled by any groundcover.
Interesting Facts Ceratostigma is a genus of eight species of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae.
It is native to the warm, temperate, and tropical regions of Africa and Asia.
Gardener Tips In the spring, plants can be lifted, divided, and replanted just before new shoots appear. Their cream-colored roots have tell-tale rings around them, making them easy to spot.
Cuttings may be taken in the summer, but the plants resist being moved from mid-summer on.
We love planting Dwarf Plumbago under bulbs such as tulips and daffodils because of its late emerging foliage that comes out just as the bulb plant foliage is dying back.
For a breathtaking display of
blueish-purple hues try a Butterfly Bush combined with
Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower and Dwarf Plumbago. The
butterflies will go crazy, and you'll have the most dramatic blooms in a variety of shapes and textures for constant color.
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