Scientific Name:
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Pronunciation:
ser-ah-toh-STIG-mah plum-bah-gi-NOY-deez
Common Name:
plumbago, leadwort
Family Name:
Plumbaginaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, most obovate, 2-5cm long x 1-3cm wide, glabrous, margin entire; florets funnelform, phlox-like, 2-3cm long x 1.2-2cm wide, 5 vibrant dark blue petals, opening from terminal rounded cymose clusters of 15-30 dark red buds (usually only 1-5 florets open at once).
Habit:
Horizontal, Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China (western China)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Container planting, Filler, Ground cover, Perennial border, Rock garden (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Fall:
Dark-red, Bronze
Shapes:
Obovate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Ciliate, Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Blue
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Deadhead to control spread; may need mulching for rhizomes to survive in zone 5
Pest Susceptibility:
Mealybugs, Mildew (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
