Plumbaginaceae FAMILY

Ceratostigma willmottianum

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub

Growth—

Prefers a light moderately fertile and retentive soil with good drainage, though it tolerates poor dry soils^[1] and grows well on chalk^[2]. Requires a sunny position^{[2, 1]}. Plants are not fully hardy in Britain, especially if treated as shrubs, but if treated as herbaceous perennials they succeed outdoors in areas where winter temperatures do not fall below about -10 to -15°c^[1]. When the woody stems survive the winter it is best to prune them hard in the spring in order to obtain better flowering^[2]. Plants flower best on the current years growth^[1]. Most, if not all the plants in cultivation in Britain, derive from an original two plants raised from seed in 1908^[2]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus^[1]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer^[3].

Propagation

Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in the spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of rooted suckers in the spring^[1]. Layering in the spring. Plants often self-layer^[1]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a closed frame^[1]. Plants should be overwintered in a frost-free frame or greenhouse for their first winter^[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ceratostigma+willmottianum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[2]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[3]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[4]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
[5]Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies — Chancellor. P. M. · C. W. Daniel Co. Ltd. · 1985 · ISBN 85207 002 0 ↩︎Details the 38 remedies plus how and where to prescribe them.