Gardening

Laurentia fluviatilis (Isotoma)

Blue star creeper

Ground cover

In flats, blue star creeper is almost irresistible to pass up--brimming over with tiny, delicate green rounded leaves dotted with small, star-shaped baby-blue flowers. You probably think you have no place for a ground cover such as this, believing it needs full shade because it looks so lush. But the advantage this ground cover has over baby’s tears and dichondra, which it closely resembles, is that it can tolerate full sun.

Blue star creeper’s tiny flowers bloom from February into the summer. At its best, the plant forms a rolling, hill-like effect, as tall as three inches in places. Because it can withstand light foot traffic, it often is planted among steppingstones or rocks, where it creeps up and along to fill in all the nooks. It also has been used in pots at the base of bonsai plants, creating an interesting play of scale.

It is planted out from flats; space chunks about six inches apart--in a year they will fill in. Fertilize regularly in the spring and do not overwater, but do keep soil moist. Thin it out once a year, cutting here and there through the thick parts of the mat and taking out slivers. Keep it weeded and protect from snails. In the winter, blue star creeper discolors with the cold, turning a dark purple, but it should come back in the spring.

Look for blue star creeper in the ground-cover section of the nursery. If it is not in stock, the nursery can order it from Mitsuwa Nursery in Moorpark and B&C; Growers in Chino.