Plumbago is at the top of my list for ground covers blooming late in the season. It starts in mid summer with its vivid blue flowers and continues well into fall until the first frost. This blue color is really an eye catcher and is especially welcome at this time when few other blue flowers are blooming. As the flowers fade and fall they leave red calyxes behind that add another color to the garden. As if that is not enough, the shiny, oval green leaves turn bronze-red as the temperatures drop. This displays takes place in sun or part shade as long as moderate moisture is available. This is an excellent companion for spring bulbs as the foliage does not emerge until after the bulbs have bloomed and when their foliage is dying back.
Type: Perennial.
Bloom: Small vivid blue flowers are borne from late summer into follow followed by red calyxes as the flowers fall.
Size: 8-12” H x 12-14” W.
Light: Full sun to light shade; afternoon shade in the South.
Soil: Average, moist, well-drained.
Hardiness: Zones 6-9.
Care: Cut back woody stems in late winter to stimulate new growth.
Pests and Diseases: Root rot may be a problem in wet soils.
Propagation: Cuttings in early summer; divisions in spring.
Companion plants: Spring bulbs; underplanting for shrubs.
Karen Meyers
I am glad I found this site!! There are very few places that have any information on this little plant. I have been trying to collect seeds from my leadwort for several years now and I have been unsuccessful. Do you collect seeds from your leadwort or are you familiar with the seed saving process for this plant?? Do you by any chance know what the seeds may look like??
I have been waiting for the stem underneath the flower cluster to die but instead new flower buds form, this little plant blooms even sometimes after my first frost. Do you think I would have a better chance at collecting the seeds after my frost hits?? Also do you think that if the frost hits the plant and the seeds that are within it will be viable after the frost??
So many questions, it is just a great little care free plant minus the occasional spider mites, that I would love to share the seed with others.