Ceratostigma willmottianum | Chinese plumbago

Regular price: $8.99
Regular price
Sale price: $8.99

Shipping calculated at checkout.

4" pot

order now for FALL 2025 shipping or pickup

Grown from seed in living soil without the use of pesticides, chemicals, or carbon fuels.

Ceratostigma willmottianum, commonly known as hardy leadwort or Chinese plumbago, is a graceful deciduous shrub with year round appeal. Arching, wiry red stems are attractive through winter, masses of bright blue blooms light up the late summer garden, and red fall foliage is outstanding.

This shrub is easy to grow in full sun or part shade on average or well-drained soil. It is an easy going plant that tolerates drought and full shade, but it does not appreciate standing water so please ensure good drainage before planting.

Fun fact: The species name honors English horticulturist Ellen Ann Willmott (1858-1934), who inspired the name of almost 200 plants.

Distinctions: Winner of an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society

Zones: 6 to 10
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Type: Deciduous shrub
Height: 3 to 4 feet
Spread: 3 to 4 feet
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Condition: Normal To Moist
Bloom Time: late summer
Native Range: China, Tibet

Special Characteristics

Outstanding fall color
Groundcover
Deer-resistant
Rabbit resistant
Pollinator favorite
Winter interest

image credits

Daderot , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Daderot , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Martin Cooper from Ipswich, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ordering information

Preorders

You may place your order anytime to reserve plants for fall 2025 shipment. If you place multiple orders, we will combine plants into one box (or as many as needed) and any extra shipping charges will be refunded.

We will resume shipping plants as soon as temperatures cool in our location and yours.

We will check in with you a week before shipping to make sure you receive your plants at a time that is convenient for you.

Shipping

Live plants ship in spring and fall only. Plants may ship dormant, depending on variety and season. Shipping costs are most reasonable when bundling like size plants.

4-inch: 1-6 plants ship for $15.00 / 7-13 plants ship for $18.00 / 14-30 plants ship for $40.00
1-gal: 1-2 plants ship for $18.00 / 3-4 plants ship for $25.00 / 5-6 plants ship for $40.00
trees & shrubs: $27.00-$40.00 each, height dependent
seeds: $6.75 or free with orders over $15.00

We regret that we cannot ship internationally or to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, or WA.

Nursery pick up

Plants can be collected from the nursery Monday through Sunday from 10am-4pm in Spring, Summer, and Fall. We prefer 24 hour notice to get your order together and will email you when ready for collection.

Plant Sizes

We most commonly use the following pot sizes for perennials:

4-inch pot: 3.5" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D
2-quart pot: 6" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D
1-gallon pot: 6.87" H x 8" Dia (this is a true one gallon pot, not the smaller 'trade' one gallon pot used by many nurseries)

Check out our illustrated pot size guide here.

Representative trees & shrubs are photographed in their pots and posted on each plant page.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at The Old Dairy. We grow all of our plants outdoors without the use of chemicals, fertilizers, carbon fuels, or peat.

Many of our perennials are grown in the ground and dug upon order (this is especially true for larger sizes). This practice allows us to grow stronger, healthier plants using native soil, and ultimately reduces our impact on the environment.

Our open-pollinated seeds are collected from plants in our mother beds, which have never been treated with chemicals or sprays of any kind.

Read all about our sustainable practices here.