Today we are going to talk about a type of plant that, although it has a small size, is used for gardening. It’s about the Lithodora diffusion. It has the common name of Carrasquilla azul and grass of the seven sangrías. The genus to which it belongs has about 20 species and all of them belong to the Boraginaceae family. Although they have a small size, almost all of them can be used in the gardening world as a carpet plant.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about the characteristics of the care of the Lithodora diffusion.
Key features
It is a type of plant that has a fairly small size. This makes it used as a cover plant. A wallcovering plant is one in charge of being able to fill the gaps in the garden. It is this grass that serves to cover the ground and spread throughout the land. Given its rather low growth habit, it is extremely interesting to use to create a tapestry about 15 centimeters high. This slow growth serves to be able to control very well what sizes we want in our tapestry.
It can be used quite well in small rockeries or arranged in planters. It is not too demanding in terms of care, so you do not have to worry too much about them. It only requires an acid soil so that it can thrive in good condition. We will see the rest of the care later, but it does not have any type of complication.
This plant has young stems that rise straight and are completely covered by fine whitish hairs. The oldest stems can be easily distinguished with the naked eyesince it produces a final grayish crust. In this way, we can know how long the plant has been sown.
Its leaves are green and have a slightly grayish appearance. Its shape is lanceolate and has a dividing line in the center. The touch of the plant is somewhat harsh due to the fact that it has a fairly dense accumulation of short hairs. The hairs use them to protect themselves from possible predators. Its foliage remains throughout the year, which is why it is considered a perennial plant. However, the bush can be seen dotted with flowers at certain times of the year. In this case, we see flowers in the Lithodora diffusion from spring to summer.
Description of the Lithodora diffusion
The Lithodora diffusion It can be used as an upholstery plant and is quite useful in garden decoration. As long as the weather is good, the plant can also offer sporadic blooms in another time that is not exactly spring and summer. For example, if we have a winter with warmer and milder temperatures, it can develop flowers during the time that the good temperature lasts.
The flowers are small in size and arranged in terminal groups. They have 5 rounded petals and are fused at the base. All of them are open and have an intense blue color with a central line with the same hue and even more powerful. There are some varieties of Lithodora diffusion as is the Blue Star variety that has the petals of a white color with coarse sand of a blue color that resembles that of a star, hence its name.
Caring for the Lithodora diffusion
This plant has a fairly simple cultivation and is not at all worrying a thousand too demanding to attend to. Thanks to its morphology, it presents a high vegetable against the different pests that usually exist in gardens. After flowering or at the end of summer it is necessary to carry out some maintenance tasks such as a small pruning. It is not a pruning as such, but it is only a slight cut to promote its growth and make it more dense.
With regard to winter, it must be borne in mind that if winter is quite cold, the plant must be protected from lower temperatures and frost. It usually has a high resistance, but on certain occasions it is better to cover them with some type of coat. They are usually used in rockeries, borders, to cover slopes and in pots. Many people use it in planters for patios, decks, and balconies. And it is a small plant that can be adapted to different places.
In areas where winter is more humid, it is convenient to have it in a pot so that it can be well protected from excessive rain.
Requirements
We are going to analyze what are the main requirements of the Lithodora diffusion. The first thing to know is that it will have a better flowering if its exposure is in full sun. Although it can also be grown in semi-shade, it is not recommended since it is more sensitive to frost. They can withstand such frosts but sporadically and not too intense.
It is vital that the irrigation water is reduced, since they are very resistant to drought plants. It is only watered waiting for the soil to be dry to water again. If it is grown in a pot, you have to wait the first 3 months after planting to start watering frequently. It is vital that the soil is well drained and that it does not accumulate irrigation or rain water. It is a plant that does not tolerate excess humidity or puddles. It can thrive in acidic soils, even if it is poor in nutrients.
It is not necessary to apply any type of fertilizer, since it is not demanding in terms of nutrients. As we have mentioned before, among the maintenance tasks of the Lithodora diffusion we have the pruning. It is advisable to trim slightly at the beginning of autumn to favor a more abundant flowering. They are plants resistant to the usual pests, although they are somewhat more sensitive to excess moisture.
Finally, the propagation of this plant can be done with seeds from the spring time. It is the time of year where they are most likely to grow.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Lithodora diffusionits characteristics and its uses.
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