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Lithodora

GraemeCGraemeC Posts: 55
in Plants
Hi I just thought I would recomend a couple of really nice Lithodora plants that do well for me...

Lithodora "blue star" has grown like mad, the plants pictured here were put straight into the raised bed as 3 small plugs in 2017 and look how they've came on!

Also pictured is Lithodora "heavenly blue"
has a deeper blue colour, just stunning. catches your eye from across the garden.

Lovely plants to fill a wee gap! 😁
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  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 7,398
    Yes lovely plants these.. I have Heavenly Blue as well...  I used to have 'Grace Ward' but lost it whilst moving.. it flowered most of the year.. I'm not sure what the difference is, maybe a little darker in colour...?
    East Anglia, England
  • MeomyeMeomye Posts: 808
    I have Lithodora in my garden and it does not do well at all. Is it my chalky soil it doesn't like? or am I doing something wrong? I would love more blue and purple in the garden. T I A
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 35,775
    Yes, Meomye, it will be your soil that is the problem as Lithodoras prefer acidic soil to grow happily. They are stunning plants when the conditions are correct as GraemeC has indicated.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,032
    I've been trying to grow a few heavenly blue lithodoras out of my stone wall. I made some planting pockets between the stones large enough to squeeze in young potted plants then plugged the soil off with some clay I saved from when I dug the ground out for the wall. They're not thriving like they would in the ground but they survived the weather last year and the winter so they must be settled in nicely now. This one has been invaded by a forget-me-not but I quite like the colour combo so I've left them to it. The Jacob's ladder is self-seeded too.


    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 7,398
    ..lovely stone wall too @wild edges , I wish I had one...
    East Anglia, England
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,032
    Thanks. I've recieved a lot of good natured banter from builders about how rough the construction of that wall is :# In my defense it was mostly intentional to allow more soil for plants to grow in and to catch more rainwater to channel down to the planting pockets.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • MeomyeMeomye Posts: 808
    @Ladybird4 thanks for the advice, perhaps I will try some in a container with correct soil.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 35,775
    That will work very well @Meomye so fingers crossed for you here
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • GraemeCGraemeC Posts: 55
     I'm no expert on soil but mine are in a raised bed with very sandy well draining soil.

    I dress with some chicken minure and compost in the spring then just leave them be. Only water them when the soil is dry too.

    I struggle with Aubrieta in these beds for some reason though...
  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806
    The name Lithodora means "lover of stone" so it's not surprising it does well in stone walls etc. I have one little clump of it, such a deep rich blue that I can't take my eyes off it when I come across it. Interesting to hear it likes acid soil, I'll give it some ericaceous feed next time I'm out with the medicine trolley. 
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