I planted Lithodora diffusa underneath the apple tree years ago. It flourished.

A few years later, a Garden Club Speaker told us Lithodora is far more drought tolerant than most people think. He said that, after getting its root system established, it pretty much took care of itself. I love hearing this kind of news from experienced local gardeners. He would know about the months of drought we get on Southern Vancouver Island. He would know what ‘drought tolerant’ really means to us.

Lithodora originates in Turkey & Greece – another area of the globe with long, dry summers. And temperatures there get a lot hotter than ours. (More clues that Lithodora can survive without me hauling the water hose out every other day. )
Sweet.

So, I shifted our 3 Lithodora plants to the shallow bed near the top of our rocky outcrop in the fall. They were all large enough to have decent-sized root systems, but I watered them occasionally through the following summer just to be sure they established thoroughly in the new bed.
They survived. 🙂
The next year, with hardly any summer moisture, they did just as well. 🙂 🙂

Then I discovered some small Lithodora volunteers under the apple tree. I decided to risk them. So I planted them on a bit of stacked rock along the path leading up the slope.
They survived. 🙂
They established themselves during our rainy winter…
grew more…
and even bloomed.

I’m so stoked.

Lithodora makes it onto my list of High-Value Plants.

• The low-growing evergreen covers the ground like I want.
• It looks even better draping down rock walls.
• Each May, blue flowers brighten the spring garden.
• It’s winter tolerant to -15 C — and that’s plenty cold for here.
• AND the deer leave it alone.

Happiness blooms in our low-maintenance garden.

PS—Fast-forward a couple more years… the lovely patch of Lithodora in the shallow soil kicks the bucked. But the patches in the deeper soil beside the gravel path flourish.

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