Botanical name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Botanical name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Attributes: A short (8 inches), long-blooming perennial ground cover whose only drawback is that it is slow to emerge in spring. Foliage is lustrous green and turns shades of burgundy in the fall. The perennial is heat- and drought-tolerant once established.
Bloom color: Blue
Bloom time: Midsummer through fall
Culture: Plant container-grown hardy plumbago from spring into early fall; be sure to mulch fall-planted plants. Small plants planted 12 inches apart will fill in within a couple seasons. Hardy plumbago requires rich, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade. Do not cut the plant back until spring as its winter stems help protect against winter soil erosion and conserve moisture.
Landscaping tips: This is an ideal ground cover for hot, sunny locations. Companion plant it with small bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus, squills, glory-of-the-snow, grape hyacinths, dwarf narcissus and species tulips that will emerge and bloom before the plumbago emerges. Hardy Amaryllis or Lycoris are good summer-blooming companions and Autumn crocus and Colchicums make spectacular companions for fall bloom. The plumbago foliage emerges as the spring foliage of all the aforementioned bulbs begin to fade. It also makes an excellent front of the border perennial.
Cost: A gallon-size plant usually costs about $8, smaller plug-size plants for ground cover use can be as inexpensive as $4 each.
Source: Powell Gardens (www.powellgardens.org)