Belonging to a group of deciduous perennials and shrubs from eastern Africa and Asia, leadwort is a
wiry, semi-woody, mat-forming perennial which spreads by rhizomes to form an attractive ground cover.
Like many nice groundcovers, it can be somewhat invasive in optimum growing conditions.
These plants add a leafy green texture to the garden in summer, electric deep blue flowers from
mid-summer on, and couldn't be prettier in autumn with its reddish leaves. Highly rated as a ground
cover, it would no doubt be more popular if it didn't die away completely in winter, leaving
bare patches in the garden.
Plants are late to emerge in the spring, so their location should be carefully marked to avoid
damage from early spring cultivation.
Blooming from mid summer to frost, the terminal clusters of ½ to ¾ inch, gentian blue
flowers appear above the foliage on short stems. Flowers somewhat resemble those of woodland phlox.
Leaves are dark green, leathery, oval, and 2 inch long; turning reddish in the fall after a light
frost.
A good choice for interplanting with your favorite spring bulbs because its foliage emerges late
just as the bulb foliage is dying back. Can also be used for the front of the border or in rock
gardens with careful monitoring of its spread. Great with Achillea and Coreopsis.
Plants can be lifted, divided and replanted in the spring just before the new shoots appear.
Their cream-colored roots have tell-tale rings around them, making them easy to spot.
Cuttings may be taken in the summer, but the plants resist being moved from mid-summer on.
