lithodora not doing well and cuttings failing

berarde

I put in three lithodora two in the back garden and one in the front. They get morning sun so are in medium shade. i cut them back halfway after flowering for their first year , these pictures are 6/6/21 so a lot of dead stuff and a few terminal flowers

I normally do well with cuttings, but I can't get these to take at all, no succeses in 3 tries. My soil is pretty much neutral.

Perhaps they are only marginally hardy, I'm in Leeds and i think this is possibly frost?

Buttercupdays

It is unlikely to be a hardiness issue.  I've had mine for many years, -12C is not infrequent here and it survived -14C this last winter. It has been lovely this year, gets very little sun and has never been cut back.

I wonder if yours is maybe a bit dry, its leaves look smaller and a little paler than mine. Yours has a lot of gravel around it, while mine is under a hawthorn and has built up a bed of leafmould over the years which will hold water longer. It is on a bank that has a drystone retaining wall, so by no means damp, but is also less exposed than yours.

The soil here is  acid so that may have an impact too.

pansyface

I would agree with the acid soil idea.

One of mine got accidentally included in a potted azalea’s compost. It grew wonderfully, unlike the one that was nestled between two pieces if limestone.