Is Blue Star Creeper a Perennial?
Blue star creeper is a groundcover native to Australia that features tiny dark green leaves and abundant small blue flowers. It forms a dense mat over the soil and is low maintenance, making it a wonderful plant for trouble spots in the garden. The groundcover blooms for long seasons, often from spring all the way through fall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Growth Patterns
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The blue star creeper is a perennial plant, which means that it grows from the same plant base year after year rather than dying and beginning a new plant from seed (annual). In warm climates, this groundcover is evergreen -- it keeps its leaves year round. In cooler climates, it is semi-evergreen, so it may shed its leaves in the winter but will regrow from the same roots the following spring.
Growing Conditions
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Blue star creeper can grow in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 10. It is a low-maintenance plant but requires consistent moisture and well-drained soil. These plants grow best in full sun but can tolerate part shade. Clumps of blue star creeper should be given plenty of space from other garden plants as they can overtake smaller plants fairly quickly. Each start will spread between 18 and 24 inches, so allow adequate space between plant starts, as well.
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Cultivation
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Blue star creeper is easy to grow and will grow in neglected, low-nutrient soil. Its greatest demands are consistently moist soil and good drainage. Adding compost a few times per year will give the plants some added nutrients to keep them healthy and blooming, as well as to help improve soil drainage. A diluted liquid fertilizer could also be used on occasion when watering. Clumps can be divided in the spring or fall to increase size.
Garden Uses
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This low-maintenance groundcover is a versatile garden plant. It tolerates moderate foot traffic without being damaged and is a valuable plant for spreading between stepping stones or forming a green pathway in areas that don't have constant foot traffic. Blue star creeper is fast-growing, which makes it a good choice for erosion control on a slope or terrace. In spring bulb gardens, this plant is a beautiful cover once the bulbs have finished for the year.
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References
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