Buglossoides purpurocaerulea – Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum

Description

Buglossoides – There are about 15 species of hairy annuals, rhizomatous perennials and evergreen or semi evergreen subshrubs, in this genus. They occur in sunny scrub and rocky slopes in temperate Western and Southern Europe, Africa, and parts of Western Asia. The erect or decumbent stems, which sometimes root at the tips, and produce variable, simple, broad to narrow bristly hairy, mid to dark green leaves. They bear terminal cymes of small starry or salverform flowers. Grow in a border, rock garden or wild garden. Grow in well drained, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun with some midday shade. Divide perennial in early spring. B. purpurocaerulea – Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum – This rhizomatous perennial found from Western Europe to Northern Iran grows 24-30″ tall and usually 18-24″ wide. From tip rooting, decumbent, non-flowering stems it carries narrow lance shaped, dark green leaves, to 3″ long. In late spring and early summer, erect stems carry cymes of initially purple-red flowers later blue flowers, to 3/4″ long. Zones 6-8