Trachystemon orientalis

Trachystemon orientalis

 

Common name: early flowering borage

Family: Boraginaceae

Leaf: Large, coarsely-textured, long petioled, heart-shaped, bristly-hairy, overlapping, medium to dark green basal leaves (each up to 12" long), typically maturing to full size after flowering

Flowers: Pendant, borage-like, white-throated, bluish-purple flowers (each to 1/2” wide) bloom in early spring (March-April) in loose-branched panicles (scorpioid cymes) located atop branched, hairy, pink-tinted flowering stems rising to 18” tall. Flowers bloom at a time when the foliage is just beginning to develop. Flowers have tubular corollas with five spreading to slightly reflexed petals.

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, spreading; Form: matting

Height: 1'-1.5'; Spread: 1.5'-2'

Culture: Easily grown in moist, humusy, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Tolerates drought including moderate amounts of dry shade in cool summer conditions. Also tolerates full sun, but usually performs best in sun-dappled part shade. Generally tolerant of a wide range of soils. Propagate by root cuttings and division. Will naturalize in the garden by spreading rhizomes. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 6-9. Hardy.

Uses: Ornamental ground cover featuring early blue flowers and dense heart-shaped leaves. Naturalize in partly shaded landscape areas. Woodland margins. Good selection for dry shade.

Origin: Southern Europe, SW Asia