Bach Flower No.5 - Plumbago

Cerato, the Bach flower for intuition

Cerato is a Plumbago of the Plumbaginaceae family, also known as Ceratostigma willmottianum. This low-growing shrub is prized for its abundant flowering. Each flower lasts a short time, but gives way to new ones of a pretty blue of varying hue. In the wild, it rivals no other plant, as it doesn't produce seeds. But in our gardens, with its spreading habit and rich flowering, Plumbago's beauty and hardiness make it a standout on a trellis, low wall or embankment, despite its delicate appearance. An excellent ground cover plant, it can reach a spread of 1.50 m. Undemanding, it thrives in ordinary, well-drained soil and appreciates fairly severe spring pruning to regain its vigor.

In purely botanical terms, Plumbago has bright-green deciduous foliage with downy, oval leaves with narrow tips. In autumn, the foliage turns a reddish bronze before dropping. From June to November, Plumbago is covered with star-shaped flowers grouped in elegant bunches on purple-toned stems.