The Grace Ward Lithodora is a low-maintenance ornamental garden plant that is easy to grow and care for. It thrives in sunny to partly sunny locations with humusy, moist, fertile, well-draining soils with an acidic pH, similar to the environment in the Deep South. Lithodora groundcover is a great choice for rock gardens, window boxes, or containers. Lithodora seeds can be planted directly in the soil, but starting by taking cuttings from healthy stems in early spring or late summer and dipping them into rooting hormone before placing them in moist potting soil or compost is recommended.
Lithodora plants require light, which can be achieved by placing them in well-rotted manure in partial sun to full sun. Afternoon shade is best in hot climates, and watering the plant regularly is essential. However, beware of overwatering and avoid soggy, waterlogged soil.
To grow Lithodora, prepare the soil with ample organic matter, space the plants 12-18 inches apart, and plant at the same depth as the container. Water the plant regularly and avoid overwatering. Sharp garden shears are the best tool for making clean cuts on the plant.
Planting Lithodora in a sunny or partially sunny location with well-drained soil is crucial for its growth and health. The plant prefers a regular drink of water, but it can tolerate wet soil. Overall, the Lithodora plant growing and care guide provides valuable tips for planting, watering, feeding, and caring for this low-maintenance plant.
📹 Blue Flowering Groundcover – Lithodora “Grace Ward” – Blooming in my garden 💙
In this video, Lithodora Grace Ward is blooming prolifically in my garden. This is a beautiful groundcover perennial hardy in zones …
Can I plant cuttings straight into the ground?
Plant propagation involves creating new plants by dropping seeds or suckering them. Stem cuttings are an easy way to propagate plants by trimming off a healthy portion of a stem, placing it in water or a growing medium until it develops roots, and then planting it in a pot or the ground. This method is common for creating new houseplants and works for many garden plants. In cold-weather zones, you can take clippings of tender annuals and root them indoors to prepare a supply of new plants for spring planting. These steps can be followed to multiply garden plants and houseplants.
What compost is best for Lithodora?
Lithodora Diffusa Heavenly Blue is a prostrate evergreen shrub with deep azure blue flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. It can grow up to 25cm x 45cm and is best planted in open ground with garden soil and a good quality Tree and Shrub Compost. For containers, John Innes No3 Compost or a good quality Multipurpose compost is recommended. The plants should be fed with granular fertiliser in spring and late summer. Delivery and returns are limited due to government guidelines on social distancing.
Is Lithodora a trailing plant?
Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’ (Gromwell) is a popular evergreen shrub with trailing stems and dark green, hairy leaves. Its profuse, star-shaped, deep blue flowers in spring and summer make it ideal for rock gardens, slopes, and cascading over retaining walls. The plant is deer-resistant, suitable for beds, borders, slopes, cottage gardens, coastal gardens, city gardens, Mediterranean gardens, and gravel and rock gardens. It grows up to 6-12 inches tall and 2-3 feet wide, and can be grown in acidic, well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade.
It is disease and pest-free, and can be propagated by semi-hardwood cuttings. Native to Southern and Western Europe, it is a good choice for containers. The description of these plants is based on numerous external sources and may differ in height, bloom time, and color in different climates.
How to maintain lithodora?
Lithodora thrives in full sunlight, partial shade, and afternoon shade in hot climates. Care for Lithodora involves regular watering, avoiding overwatering, and avoiding soggy, waterlogged soil. Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter to receive a free download of our DIY eBook “Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter”. Apply mulch in cooler regions and prune lightly if Lithodora appears straggly or leaves are damaged by winter cold.
What goes well with Lithodora?
The Lithodora plant is best suited for companion plants that share similar sunlight and soil needs. Creeping thyme, a low-growing perennial, thrives in well-drained soil and full sun. Sedum, a succulent perennial, prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Heuchera, lavender, and salvia are also suitable companion plants. For low-maintenance gardens, choose drought-tolerant plants like creeping thyme and sedum. Pollinator-friendly plants like lavender and salvia enhance garden beauty and biodiversity. These plants are suitable for busy gardeners and are suitable for plants requiring moist soil.
Is Lithodora slow growing?
Lithodora, also known as Lithospermum, produces gentian-like flowers in the middle of summer. It’s easy to grow and produces evergreen mats of foliage for ground cover. Lithodora ‘Star’ produces white-edged, star-like blue flowers with a white edge. It thrives in open, sunny conditions in well-drained, acidic soil. Propagated by semi-hardwood cuttings, it has no known value to wildlife in the UK.
What is Lithodora used for?
Lithodora is a low-maintenance plant that thrives in climate zones 5-7 and 14-17, requiring light shade and moderate watering. It thrives in loose, well-drained, lime-free soil and can be used in rock gardens or as ground cover on a small scale. It is best suited to mild-summer climates. The plant has been successful in a neighborhood with wind, salt air, deer, and gophers, providing two years of pretty flowers and minimal watering. The gophers have only eaten two plants in two years, and the deer have left them alone.
How to maintain Lithodora?
Lithodora thrives in full sunlight, partial shade, and afternoon shade in hot climates. Care for Lithodora involves regular watering, avoiding overwatering, and avoiding soggy, waterlogged soil. Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter to receive a free download of our DIY eBook “Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter”. Apply mulch in cooler regions and prune lightly if Lithodora appears straggly or leaves are damaged by winter cold.
Where is the best place to plant Lithodora?
Lithidora diffusa, also known as lithodora, is a prostrate, multi-branched ground cover native to scrubby areas and woodland margins from southwestern Europe along the Mediterranean to Turkey and south to Morocco. It grows to 6-10″ tall and spreads over time to 24-30″ wide. The plant tolerates full sun in cool summer climates but appreciates some part shade in hot summers. It thrives in Mediterranean-type climates on slopes or raised beds. The plant’s main flowering period is late spring to early summer, with minor additional blooms in the fall.
The plant’s densely clad branches are densely clad with narrow, sessile leaves, which are dark green above and gray-green beneath. The plant’s name comes from the Greek words lythos meaning stone and dorea meaning a gift, possibly in reference to its wild habitat.
Can I propagate Lithodora?
This plant is known to flourish in soil that is well-mulled or peaty, and it is relatively straightforward to propagate from cuttings. It is recommended that the plant be restarted every few years and older clumps be dug out and discarded, as older clumps may have bare patches and straggly growth.
What is the best fertilizer for Lithodora?
The process of fertilization should be initiated at a concentration of 100 ppm nitrogen when the roots have become visible. This concentration should then be increased to 200 ppm nitrogen once the roots have developed to a sufficient extent. The use of Cal-Mag® Plus fertilizers in propagation is recommended to prevent unwanted stretch.
📹 Grace Ward Lithodora | Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’
The Grace Ward Lithodora | Lithodora diffusa is an evergreen perennial with deep blue, almost purplish flowers. It is another …
I just received 4 little starter plants of the Grace Ward Lithadora (September). I’m so excited. I’m thinking of putting it in hanging baskets for the winter to try and keep it alive. It was so hard to find this plant. Can you tell me what you fertilize it with and any information / instructions would be so helpful. FYI – I’m in Fort Worth, Texas
They look so pretty! Thanks for sharing! I just planted my lithodora this spring. Looking forward to see it grow and bloom! What USDA zone are you growing them? Mine had very blue flowers at the beginning now they’re becoming white but the plant looks healthy. I’ve heard it happens when the blooming period is passing did you see something similar?
It looks beautiful, I have several Lithodora not just blue but also a blue and white stripe. I live in North Lincolnshire in England and it grows very well. What I would like to ask, do you know how to prune it back. Mine has gotten rather scraggy but I am not sure if I cut it right back am I cutting into the woody bit and then it might not grow. Thank you for any advice you can give.
Got 5 of these from the clearance rack in spring. We’re inland of Myrtle Beach zone 8b. I put it on the bottom side of a gully ridge between gardenias. It’s still alive. What would you guess my odds are for it naturalizing here? It’s getting morning sun, afternoon shade. The soil is not what I call soil (originally from NE Ohio dirt), it’s 90% sand with a thin top coat of leaf debris, pine needles, etc. I amended the holes. Whatcha think?