Lithodora diffusa
Spreading lithodora, Acid-loving lithodora
Also known as Lithospermum diffusa
- Height × spread
- 0.15m – 0.15m × 0.5m – 0.5m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
A gentle low-growing plant that is grown for its starry blue flowers that come for weeks from mid-spring. It has slender, rather dull dark green leaves and makes a spreading, rather hummocky plant that can be overlooked when not in flower. There are a number of pleasing cultivars with flowers in varying shades of blue, as well as the noticeable 'Star' that has white edged blue flowers, though these can sometimes revert. These stand around 30 cm in height but can have a spread of three times that.
- Flower colour
- Blue, White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Prostrate
- Height
- 0.15m – 0.15m
- Spread
- 0.5m – 0.5m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Rock garden, Mediterranean garden, Gravel garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- Acid (ericaceous)
- Drainage
- Well drained soil
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, most are hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Structural
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring · Outdoors
Apply acidic mulch
Where soil is only just acidic, apply mulch with a high acidic content such as leaf mould, or mulch for ericaceous plants. Alternatively the plant can benefit from a feed of iron supplement (iron chelate) such as sequestrol.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Planting & general
Planting
Prune lightly after flowering
Give the plant a light haircut, generally tidying it up and removing any shoots that are wayward or damaged in any way. Dead flowers can be cut off if this is practical - the shrub may have too many, or they may be hard to reach.