Plant of the Week
Plumbago (Ceratostigma)
Each week, OGV sub-committee member, Gayle Parks presents the 'Plant of the Week'. She also posts to OGV's Instagram - make sure you check back weekly for her latest post. This week Gayle brings us Ceratostigma: great performers with rich blue flowers combined with autumn colour in cooler climes.
The leadwort genus is a group of tough, flowering shrubs that originated in Asia. In my suburban Melbourne garden they are semi-deciduous. I particularly love them at this time of year as their foliage colours up at the same time as their rich, blue flowers are blooming, making for a fabulous autumnal combination.
In my last large garden I had the three varieties thriving in different locations with differing conditions, sun, dappled sun and shade. They are such great performers! I have managed to find homes for them all in my new small garden as well. They were must-haves!
Ceratostigma willmottianum is a low growing, open-branched deciduous / semi-deciduous shrub with small diamond-shaped green leaves with purple margins that turn bronze in autumn. Throughout summer and autumn it bears terminal clusters of small, open faced, pretty, five petal flowers that are a brilliant, true blue. It grows to about 60-90 centimetres high.
Ceratostigma griffithii forms a lovely low mounded, spreading shrub with those brilliant blue star-shaped flowers coming from purple clusters on sometimes red stems. This one also grows to 60-90 centimetres high and is deciduous/semi deciduous. During autumn and winter the small dark green leathery leaves turn a fiery, intense red. With the arching nature of this variety’s twiggy branches, they are perfect for propagating by layering. Pin a branch to the ground with some wire or a rock, cover it with some soil and when it takes root, simply cut it from the parent plant and plant it somewhere else!
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is again, a very hardy, deciduous/semi-deciduous, dwarf groundcover with small, oval, green leaves that turn flaming scarlet and crimson in late autumn and winter. With those profuse star-shaped beautiful gentian blue flowers from spring until autumn, it grows to 30cm x 40cm. I think it looks fabulous meandering amongst silver foliaged plants. They really compliment each other.
The Ceratostigma family is tough, frost tolerant and will cope with the dry conditions we experience. They are all easy to propagate which will make your friends happy too! (Sharing is caring….) I hope you can find a spot in your garden for all, or even just one of these fantastic plants. Definitely one of my favourites.
Main Image:
Ceratostigma griffithii with its arching branches in my friend Anne’s garden.
Other Images:
Ceratostigma willmottianum recently planted in my new small garden, just starting to colour up.
Ceratostigma willmottianum well-established in Anne’s garden.
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides recently planted in my new small garden. Looking forward to it filling and softening this space…. Just look at that colour!