Product Description
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (30)ct Flat
Common Name: Plumbago, Leadwort
A groundcover that provides interest in late summer, after many other perennials are finished blooming, Leadwort is hard to beat. The foliage is green during the summer, then turns a beautiful bronzy-red in fall. It provides the perfect backdrop for the brilliant gentian blue blooms which are present from late summer until the first hard frost.
Use Leadwort as an underplanting to shrubs or large perennials or allow it to ramble over small rocks. Any way you use it, Leadwort will be a dependable, long-lived perennial.
This versatile groundcover will grow in either full sun or part shade. Plants will perform better in partial shade in southern climates. Afternoon shade will result in more open plants that spread more freely. This plant is great for hot, dry places, but could use some water when really hot.
Leadwort goes completely dormant in the winter, and tends to leaf out late in the spring once it warms up, so be careful to remember where you have planted it. Planting before midsummer is highly recommended. Any divisions should be made in spring. Winter mulch in zone 5 is also recommended.
Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit -- 1993
Missouri Botanical Garden Plants of Merit
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant -- 2018
Height: 8.0-12.0 Inches
Spread: 10.0-20.0 Inches
Hardiness Zones: 5,6,7,8,9
Flower Color: Blue shades
Foliage Color: Green shades
Full Sun (> 6 hrs. Direct Sun) - Part Shade (4-6 hrs. Direct Sun)
Average Water Needs
Poor to Fertile Soil Quality
Bloomtime: Late Summer - Mid Fall
Attracts Butterflies
Deer Resistant
Growth Rate: Medium
Border Plant, Ground Cover
Thirty (30) plants per flat (or tray). Approximate Plug Measurements: 3 inches deep x 2 inches wide.
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
