Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Flower Growing Guides

Search Cornell

Home Gardening

Flower Growing Guides

Growing Guide

[+] larger image

Leadwort

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Also known as Dwarf Plumbago
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Plumbaginaceae Family
Synonym: Plumbago larpentae

Late- and long-flowering, this low-growing, mat-forming perennial has glossy green leaves and showy deep blue flowers that bloom in late summer and fall. Needs winter protection in Zone 5.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun
part shade

Performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Soil conditions:

tolerates droughty soil
requires well-drained soil

Prefers well-drained, rich soil.

Hardiness zones:

5 to 8

Provide winter protection in Zone 5.

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.75 to 1 feet

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

Bloom time:

late summer
early fall

Flower color: blue

Flowers are dainty and dark blue.

Foliage color: medium green

The leaves are ovoid and glossy. They turn a deep, burnished red in the fall.

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: spreading mass

Shape in flower: same as above

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

aggressive - Spreads rapidly and can choke out less aggressive species.
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to China.

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by seed, cuttings, layering, division or separation - Make softwood stem cuttings in spring or semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
Layer in fall.
Divide in spring.

Maintenance and care:

Do not prune in fall. Plants are late to emerge in spring, so leave old stems to mark spot until new growth appears.
Spreads by underground rhizomes, and can be agggressive. Divide in spring to limit spreading.
Marginally hardy in Zone 5. Make sure soil is well-drained and mulch to provide winter protection.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:

Citrus mealybug