Zone 1 has a low temperature of below -50 Fahrenheit and below -45.6 Celsius, covering interior areas of Alaska, Resolute, Northwest Territories of Canada, northernmost tip of China. She has 30+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening; seed starting and saving; growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals; and sustainable and urban farming. Judging by the fact that the plant is not native to the US, it can spread very quickly, which made it invasive in nature. Drought periods may see the plant go temporarily dormant, but don't let this go on for more than a few weeks. After planting some or all all of your plants, deeply water the entire planting area. Remove affected plants and add soil amendments to improve drainage before replanting. It is useful in softening the lines described by hardscaping materials like brick and concrete. Blue star creeper ( Isotoma fluviatilis) - This a fast-growing groundcover for foot traffic that produces blue, star-shaped blooms in spring and early summer. A great filler between stepping stones or fluff for a potting planting, it's a great filler and tolerates gentle traffic. Pratia peduculata 'County Park:' Dark Blue Star Creeper This variety can grow 1-5" tall and spread up to 18" a year. Perfect for pathwa. Full shade is not advisable if you live in a warmer zone. Shaving the plant down to about 1-inch in autumn equally helps keep it tidy during the winter periods. Zone 3b has a low temperature of -35 to -30 Fahrenheit and -34.5 to -37.2 Celsius, spanning from northernmost regions of the US, interior and northern coastal areas of Alaska, southern regions of Canada, northern areas of Europe, some central and northern interior regions of China, and interior regions of northern Japan. Aside from that, people that have sensitive skin might also suffer an allergic reaction when handling the plant. Badly affected plants should be removed to prevent the spread of disease. It is impressively tolerant of extreme weather conditions and even tolerates short droughts once established. Required fields are marked *. The fast growth occurs when the plant is over-watered or when you apply more fertilizer than necessary. Because it handles moderate foot traffic and consistently moist soil, we have it growing between stepping stones and pavers and as a lawn substitute. Will need to be contained if spreading is not desired. It has gradually gained a foothold as a ground cover substitute to turf grass in moderate climates but is also sometimes planted as a bedding annual in colder regions. Isotoma Axillaris 'Blue Stars' is a moderate growing groundcover plant and perennial plant that can be grown in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5A through 9B. All You should know about Isotoma Fluviatilis (blue Star Creeper) (Isotoma Fluviatilis) > how to care and characteristics PlantIn Our best expert are here for your plants! It can also be used to fill in the gaps between stepping stones or under shrubbery. Isotoma fluviatilis, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone, Plant Type: Evergreen to Semi-Evergreen Groundcover, Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Spreading/Trailing, Flowering Period: Spring , Summer, Early Fall, Sun Needs: Full Sun, Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Afternoon Sun, Soil Drainage: Well Drained, Moist - do not allow to dry out, Resistances: Deer - more info, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Foot Traffic. Hi, thanks for your question about your blue star creeper dying. This groundcover is a favorite as a lawn substitute, and is also a wonderful . Take these easy steps: Although container culture is not common, blue star creeper can certainly be grown in pots, either alone to provide spots of texture and color, or as spiller plants around the edges of mixed containers. / USDA Zo Read more. Huge quantities of bright white flowers on compact plants / 2.5' H x 3'W / Full Sun or Part Shade / Read more, This petite beauty displays dark purple foliage year-round and bursts with lovely pink string cluste Read more, Sun or Part Shade / 3-5'H x 2-3'W / Perfect for accentuating entryways or in containers / USDA Zones Read more, Sun or Part Shade / 15'-20'H x 4'-5'W / Lilac-purple flowers in spring and summer on this vine or tr Read more, Fjellheim Dwarf Coral Bark Japanese Maple, Sun or Part Shade / 6-8'H x 4-6'W / A dwarf form of the Coral Bark Maple with red branches in winter Read more, The geren leaves of the multi-branched, compact Acer palmatum Mikawa yatsubusa grow closely together Read more, New Lil' Anne's Jewel is a stunning lace leaf Japanese Maple that is sometimes known as Lileanne's J Read more. Im excited to see how they will mature and start to creep around the rocks. I've not known it to get out of hand and invade lawns but I suppose it is possible. Evergreen in warmer climates, semi-evergreen in colder climates, Blue Star prefers moist soil and has a moderate to fast growth rate. When you buy plants online from Wilson Bros Gardens, you can expect to receive high-quality nursery and garden center grade plants that are fully-rooted in their containers or pots and ready upon arrival to plant and thrive for years to come in your gardens - Guaranteed! BLUE STAR CREEPER (HT) Pratia pendunculata BABY TEARS Soleirolia soleirolii (not reliably evergreen) Join the Garden Club When you sign up for Swansons' Garden Club you'll receive members-only perks, such as gardening resources and helpful tips, notification of new arrivals and promotions, invitations to special events, and exclusive discounts. Juniperus squamata is a species of juniper native to the. It thrives as a reliably evergreen plant in regions with milder temperatures, though it does not like the intense prolonged heat of the deep South. In zones 6 to 8, blue star creeper is considered a perennial and will grow back every year. This is an amazing plant to grow if you want to over a flat or slightly inclined space in your garden. 30 Popular Plants with Big Leaves (With Names and Photos), Cotton Candy Grapes Growing Guide + Variety Info, How to Get Rid of Pokeweed [5 Quick Strategies], Philodendron Mayoi Vs Xanadu (Difference & Similarities), Top 6 Beautiful Trees with Fern-Like Leaves (With Photos). Ideal for planting between paving stones, in the rock garden or as a lawn substitute. That said, heres how to properly care for this beautiful ground cover herb. Blue Star tolerates moderately heavy foot traffic ; it is perfect as a lawn substitute, for fern or rock gardens, or between stepping stones. We spend twice as much as the average online plant store on quality shipping materials. Keep this in mind when deciding where youd like to plant blue star creeper. The dense shrubbery looks like a green carpet, and small, light blue flowers bloom in the spring. What you see is what you get. Blue Star Creeper Easy-to-grow blue star creeper ( Isotoma fluviatilis) produces pale-blue flowers that last from spring through early fall. Your email address will not be published. They are resilient plants that can withstand temperatures as low as minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit with snow cover. Blue star creeper is an adorable little plant that makes a dense, spreading low mat of round, green foliage and equally tiny light blue flowers in spring. Isotoma fluviatilis is excellent in Part Sun to Shade in Southern half of America, Full Sun to Part Shade Northern United States. Stems from the Blue Star Creeper (also called 'swamp isotome') grow along the ground and the small dark green ovate leaves provide dense cover. Any measurement below 7 indicates acid soil conditions, and anything above 7 indicates alkaline. Creeping plants are ludicrously fast ground-covering plants that thrive in soggy soil. Since blue star creeper is a semi-evergreen ground cover, it will lose its leaves in areas with low winter temperatures. Our Grower to Garden Model. Moderate water needs. And once youve collected the seeds, they should be sprinkled on a moistened seed starting mix. While it may sound good to have your garden surrounded by blue flowers, at some point, it will start to occupy other areas of your garden or yard that youd rather dedicate to other plants. 1. Does blue star creeper come back every year? On top of that, it tolerates full sun . eCommerce Software by 3dcart. Thanks for the kind words and great review! Below are the available bulk discount rates for each individual item when you purchase a certain amount. Tilling the soil in the planting area is optional. This plant does well in both dry and humid atmospheric conditions, provided soil moisture requirements are met. Full sun, with some afternoon shade in southern zones.1 to 2 inches high groundcover. If the goal is a ground cover blanket, space them 12 to 18 inches apart; they will fill in within a single growing season. They are thriving. Blue star creeper seeds take anywhere from 7 to 15 days to sprout, so be patient. Woolly thyme likes to stretch its flat branches out over sidewalks and stairs. Tolerates light to moderate foot traffic. Blue Star Creeper ( Pratia pedunculate) 2" h x 12" w. Zone 5-9. Here's how to do it: Division is generally not necessary for the health of blue star creeper, but overgrown colonies are sometimes rejuvenated if you dig up the entire colony and replant with added space between plants. The small light blue flowers are lovely to look at. Blue star creeper is readily propagated by seed and by division. Blue star creeper is a good ground cover. Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens. Remove the plastic wrap when seeds have sprouted. Furthermore, the plant can grow on top and underneath the ground, sending out runners and creeping via any situation you give it. Keep up the good work.-----------------------------Hi Shelley, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Blue Star Creeper. Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author. Zone 4a has a low temperature of -30 to -25 Fahrenheit and -31.7 to -34.4 Celsius, spanning from northern regions in the Midwest and northeast US, western coastal areas of Alaska, coastal regions of eastern Canada, northern areas of Europe, some central and northern interior regions of China, isolated areas of South America, and northern regions of Japan. It can be easily contained with deep garden barriers or walls. Isotoma is low maintenance and does not require deadheading. You'll also find hundreds of helpful articles in our on-site. It's best to start along the edge of the planting bed making sure to space plants at a distance far enough from the edge of the planting bed to allow for future spreading. Buy 2 - 3 Blue Star Creeper prefers full sun to partial shade in average, moist, neutral to alkaline soils. Adding organic compost to the soil or using compost as mulch can also help to increase acidity and maintain acid soil conditions. Although looking delicate, this ground cover is quite tough. Thanks for the great review! The root ball should then easily slide out of the pot. Borealis is almost the same thing as Australis, which often makes it hard to differentiate between them. This plant is a very gorgeous plant, regardless of where you place it whether you want to use it to fill the edges of a pond or to form a low, dense mat between stepping stones itll certainly serve you very well. And, they're spaced out well enough to make them very visually appealing. Even worth growing as an annual in cold-winter regions. This is indeed a lovely plant, though many people find it too invasive! You can drape it over a wall, grow it in a pot, or stuff it into a wire basket for an exceptional planter. Then split the root ball and plant it in the ground or in your preferred pot, and thats it. This will give the blue star creeper seeds a good place to grow. One of the best ways to get rid of blue star creeper is by overseeding the location where the plant was growing with your desired grass seed, keeping the area very moist for the first growing season. Fertilizing once at the beginning of the growing season with an all-purpose fertilizer will help to encourage strong new growth, but even this may not be needed if your soil is suitably rich. Hardy to zone 7. Masses of tiny, star-shape, blue flowers nearly cover the evergreen foliage in spring and then are produced sporadically until the first frost in fall. Blue Star Creeper does not require pruning. Blue star creeper is an amazing lawn alternative that you should definitely look at. Light requirements The blue star creeper thrives best in full direct sunlight. 1. Therefore, you will want to plant it in areas that are moist but well-drained to prevent horrible fungal infections such as leaf spot, damping off, etc. Blue Star Creeper will grow to be only 1 inch tall at maturity extending to 2 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When the seedlings reach the six-leaf stage, plant them in the ground or your desired location. It is also a good choice for blanketing areas beneath shrubs, or for covering areas where spring bulbs are grown. Fluviatilis is one of the sub-species of blue star creeper. With afternoon shade it will tolerate short, temporary dry soil conditions. Slower spreading plants like Scotch moss and Roman chamomile may be planted closer, about 4 inches apart. For example, plants with a recommended spacing of 24" apart should be spaced at least 12" from the edge of the bed (or surfaced area) to the center of the plant. Water weekly during summer droughts or plant in a moist location. Liatris spicata 'Blue' (Blazing Star or Gay Feather) Liatris spicata 'Kobold' (Blazing Star or Gay Feather) Linaria purpurea 'Purple' (Toadflax) Linum perenne 'Blue Flax' (Flax) . Use it as a lawn alternative in locations that are too shady to support turf grass. If you're unsure about the pH of your soil, or whether or not it is suitable for growing Blue Star Creeper, it's a good idea to test the pH in the planting area. This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Blue star creeper ground cover ( Isotoma fluviatilis) is a no-fuss plant that works well as a lawn substitute. It's important to check whether you have any local restrictions against planting these creepers, as they are considered invasive in some areas due to their prolific growth. When planted right and in the right spot, Blue Star Creeper is very easy to grow in garden beds and containers. On and off during spring and summer, delicate, sky-blue, star-shaped flowers appear amid tiny, bright-green leaves that are usually less than 14 . Do You Need To Remove Grass Before Mulching? It's an increasingly popular alternative to turfgrass for covering sunny areas with a ground cover that needs little maintenance. Blue star creeper is semi-evergreen so not a great choice for very cold climates as it will lose its leaves, however, in the summer delicate, star-shaped, light-blue flowers bloom. This past spring I purchased an entire flat of BSC and planted it in several different places. The item you are trying to purchase is currently out of stock.Please enter your name, email, and location below. 21 Unique And Decorative Air Plants (With Pics And Names), 14 Orchid Growing Mistakes Novice Gardeners Make + Fixes, Top 13 Species of Plants With Spiky Leaves (+ Their Photos), What Plants Have Red Stems? Lobes and corolla are hairy inside and ovary in Borealis is hairless. You can quickly test soil pH with an inexpensive soil pH tester probe. Blue Star Creeper grows best in a moderately to mildly acid soil ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 on the pH scale. Zone (5) 6 to 10. :) We use the Blue Star Creeper extensively in our gardens between the gaps of stepping stones in paths, where it serves to be a very tough "stepable" that is tolerant to moderate foot trafffic (3 to 4 times a day). Learn how to grow and care for blue star creepers. How is this plant best used in the landscape? Evergreen with small ovate leaves and bears a profusion of violet-blue, star-shaped flowers throughout the summer. (Often incorrectly known as Laurentia) This little creeping perennial forms a flat carpet of tiny green leaves, smothered with starry, soft-blue flowers all summer long. Keep the container moist and in partial sunlight for 7 to 15 days. Blue star creeper is not officially considered an invasive species, but it can, and often does, spread beyond its borders. If you are uncertain about soil drainage in the area you intend to plant, it's well worth taking the time to test the drainage before planting. And stairs winter periods that last from spring through early fall shade is not officially considered an species. Your name, email, and is also a wonderful once established they & # x27 re! Northern United States low winter temperatures is useful in softening the lines described by hardscaping materials brick! 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