sparrow
Sparrowweed (lat. Lithospermum) is a genus of ubiquitous herbaceous perennial plants that have not yet reached Australia.
Silvery pubescent leaves, spectacular small flowers that abundantly cover the plant in spring or summer, and unpretentiousness to living conditions attract the attention of gardeners. And traditional healers use a number of Sparrow species to relieve people from ailments.
What’s in your name
The reason for the Latin name of the genus of herbaceous plants was the seeds – nuts that are ovoid in shape, white in color and hard to the touch. They created the appearance of small pebbles clinging to plant branches, and therefore botanists gave the genus the name “Stone Seed”. After all, this is exactly how the word “Lithospermum” is translated from Latin into Russian.
In Russian names, “white nuts” are associated not with stones, but with delicate pearls, and therefore you can hear that the plant is called “Pearl grass”. But more often the name “Sparrowbird” is heard.
The Latin name “Lithospermum” competes with another genus name, “Lithodora”.
Varieties
* Lithospermum calabrum (lat. Lithospermum calabrum) is a creeping perennial herbaceous plant, the bushes of which do not rise above the ground above 35 cm. It can serve as a ground cover plant, or decorate rocky gardens and alpine hills with its lanceolate leaves. The cold-resistant plant displays its blue flowers in the spring.
* Lithospermum purpureo-caeruleum (lat. Lithospermum purpureo-caeruleum) is a subshrub that clearly divides its shoots into two types. On the creeping shoots there are only leaves, the shape of which can be lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate. And the erect shoots act as flower stalks, displaying to the world inflorescences formed by purple-red flowers. As it matures, the purple-red color turns blue. It blooms in spring, sometimes even beginning in early summer.
* Lithospermum diffusum (lat. Lithospermum diffusum) is a dwarf subshrub, the spiny stems of which rise above the ground to a height of up to 10 cm. Despite its proximity to the ground, the plant does not like cold, and therefore adds spectacular flowers to its dark green narrow leaves only with the onset of summer heat. Bright natural specks add a special charm to glossy blue flowers.
Being a root-sprouting creature, Lithospermum spreading creates a bright, dense carpet of leafy, prickly shoots on the site. Such a carpet will perfectly camouflage places that the human hand cannot reach.
Breeders have developed varieties that differ from the original ones in natural colors. So, the flowers can be blue or violet-blue, and single-colored dark green leaves can turn into variegated ones, incorporating several colors at once.
* Lithospermum oleifolium (lat. Lithospermum oleifolium) – like the previous species, is a dwarf creeping subshrub. But its leaves are oblong in shape, similar to Olive leaves. Brown-green dark leaves from May to August are decorated with flowers from lilac-pink to blue, collected in inflorescences.
* Carolina Lithospermum (lat. Lithospermum carolinienses) – stands out among dwarf species with its stems stretching up to a meter in length. A very formidable plant, armed with stem spines for protection from enemies. Even the leaves have sharpened their tips to intimidate them. The size of the stems matches the size of the flowers, reaching 2. 5 cm in diameter and having yellow-orange petals.
Growing
Many species of Sparrow are popular plants among gardeners when it is necessary to cover the soil from the scorching rays of the sun, which are not harmful to this plant. Moreover, the Sparrow is not afraid of either heat or cold. Only the Spreading Sparrow does not like the cold.
Consequently, the best place for planting the Sparrow is sunny places, which are rich in stone walls, alpine hills, where the Sparrow feels comfortable.
The soil for successful branching and abundant flowering requires fertile, loose, permeable soil that does not allow the creation of stagnant water, which provokes putrefactive diseases of the roots. Watering the plant is required only during prolonged drought. Periodically watering is combined with fertilizing.
Propagated by seeds, cuttings, and dividing the bush.
