Ceratostigma Plumbaginoides 1Gal

Latin Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Common Name: Dwarf Plumbago / Leadwort / Blue Leadwort / Hardy Plumbago

Zones: 5–9

Height & Spread: 6–12 inches tall, spreading 12–18 inches wide (spreads further via rhizomes to form colonies)

Descriptive Features: A low-growing, mat-forming perennial recognized with the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, valued for its late-season color and toughness as a ground cover. Wiry, erect stems bear glossy, oval, medium-green leaves that emerge notably late in spring — an advantage that makes it an excellent companion for interplanting with spring bulbs, since it fills in just as bulb foliage is dying back. From midsummer clear through to the first hard frost, clusters of small, five-petaled, vivid gentian-blue flowers rise above the foliage in a long-lasting, prolific display. As temperatures cool in fall, the leaves shift to striking bronze-red to purple tones, creating vibrant contrast with the still-blooming blue flowers. Spreads by rhizomes to form dense colonies — vigorous enough to be considered aggressive in ideal conditions, so give it room or plan to keep it in check. Deer-resistant, drought-tolerant once established, and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Excellent for ground cover, underplanting shrubs, rock gardens, erosion control, or border edging in full sun to part shade.