Discover a productive yet colorful ground cover for the landscape in this post today. A versatile Ground Cover for Seasonal Color: Plumbago growing in my home garden.
The Plumbago In My Autumn Garden
I am excited to share these photos with you from my landscape right outside the mudroom door. Need I mention this area gets tons of traffic and this ground cover is a WINNER!
This video can be found on my Bren Haas YouTube Channel. Thank you for checking this out and please consider subscribing.
In my ‘Red, White and Blue Garden’ the plumbago puts on a show almost year-round. I’m so glad I added this to this little 6’x6′ growing space outside the mudroom entry. The only issue I have had with the plant is I always forget its name. The plumbago or Ceratostigma, or leadwort, plumbago, in the family Plumbaginaceae. This ground cover is native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. I found it while visiting a new garden center up in Michigan.
- Height in Inches at Maturity: 8-12
- Width in Inches at Maturity: 18-24
- Bloom Color: Blue
- Bloom Time: Late summer to midfall
- Light Requirements: Prefers full sun to light shade
- Soil Preferences: Prefers well-drained soil
- Zones: 5-9
Why Grow Plumbago
This ground cover needs some summer heat to get growing I’ve noticed over the years. I was a little nervous after the winter of 2014 we had in Ohio and I didn’t see signs of life where this plant is growing until late May. I love the fact that this plant can grow well in full sun as well as part shade. Autumn may be my favorite time of year for color on this ground cover because of it’s burgundy leaves and blue flowers. Summer the blue totally makes my Red, White and Blue Garden theme as you can see in this link. Here are a few of the things I really love about this plant :
- No pest or disease issues
- Attractive blue flowers that arrive in summer and continue to hard frost
- The plumbago does best once establish in well-drained soil.
- Only a winter mulch is recommended in zone 5b to protect from winters.
Rumors Have It…..
I’ve been told that this ground cover is invasive and will crowd out other plants. I actually love how it is cuddling with my Red Carpet Rose and Lily plants in the space I grow this variety. In the past seven years of growing it in this location, I have had to pull a few stragglers away from the base of the roses that otherwise seem not affected by the plant. I do cut the ground cover back off of the stepping stones where it grows once in the middle of summer.
Video Featuring The Ground Cover in Patriotic Theme Garden
This video is on my Bren Haas YouTube Channel. If you are a fan of that network I hope you will consider following me at Bren Haas.
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Let’s Connect
I’d love to hear what you think of this post featuring the blue ground cover Plumbago. Be sure to comment below or leave a comment on my contact page. Happy Gardening,
