Blue Star Creeper is a low-growing perennial that blooms in late spring, summer, and early autumn. Little star-shaped flowers with colours ranging from pastel purple to blue cover them. It is still virtually never planted as bedding annually in colder climates, but it is gaining popularity in moderate climates as an alternative to turf grass for ground cover.
Blue star creeper, swamp isotope or Isotoma fluviatilis, is a low-maintenance ground cover. Here’s where you can learn how to grow it.
Blue Star Creeper Overview
| Common Name | Blue star creeper, swamp isotope |
| Botanical name | Isotoma fluviatilis |
| Family | Campanulaceae |
| Plant Type | Herbaceous, perennial |
| Mature Size | 2-3 in. tall, 1-2 ft. wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full, partial |
| Soil Type | Moist, well draining |
| Soil pH | Acidic, Natural |
| Bloom Time | Spring summer |
| Flower Colour | Blue, Purple |
| Hardiness Zone | 6-8 (USDA) |
Blue Star Creeper Care
Once established, Blue Star Creeper is a low-maintenance plant that is simple to manage. Maintaining constant moisture in the soil is ideal, if it is possible. Plants can become dormant during a drought, but they cannot die from it. Blue star creeper plants should be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart since they spread quickly to form a thick covering.
Although they aren’t officially classified as invasive, blue-star creepers aren’t native to the US and can spread swiftly, which could be an issue in some situations. This is something to take into account while choosing a planting location for a blue star creeper. Controlling it using walls or deep garden barriers is simple.
Soil
Blue-star creepers like their soil damp, well-draining, and cool during the day. It performs admirably as a groundcover when placed in between bigger trees, pavers, shrubs, or bushes.
To improve the current soil, use a high-quality potting mix or regular garden soil. Make sure drainage is present, and feed your blue-star creeper slightly acidic soil for the best results.
Light
The blue star creeper’s natural environment is typically wet places with full-day, intensely dappled sunshine. In temperate climates, it can thrive as a landscape plant in full sun, but in warmer climates, it prefers partial shade during the day. In areas with less light, the plant may grow more sporadically and provide fewer flowers.
Temperature and Humidity
Blue-star creepers are robust cold-weather partners in USDA zones 6 through 8. These hardy plants can tolerate temperatures as low as minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit when covered in snow. In these parts, it’s often a semi-evergreen that hibernates in the winter.
It is a hardy evergreen that grows well in temperate climates, but the Deep South’s strong, sustained heat is not to its liking. As long as the soil moisture requirements are satisfied, this plant may thrive in both dry and wet climates.
Water
A possible approach to describing the water needs of blue-star creepers is medium. To encourage robust development throughout the summer, irrigate the soil frequently and keep it moist. It is best to water your lawn once a week at a rate of one inch, ideally in two or more sessions.
Plants may become momentarily dormant during periods of drought, but this should not persist for longer than a few weeks. Additionally, if the plant is growing in heavy clay soil, avoid overwatering it since this might promote root rot and fungal diseases.
Fertilizer
Blue star creeper does not require heavy fertilization. In actuality, over-fertilizing blue star creepers may promote faster growth. If your soil is sufficiently rich, you may not even need to apply an all-purpose fertilizer once at the beginning of the growing season to encourage strong new growth.
Pruning
Shearing the foliage in late autumn to around an inch height will keep a blue star creeper tamer through the winter and into the spring when new growth emerges. Blue star creeper is an easy-care perennial that blooms nonstop in the spring and summer, save for this optional upkeep.
Propagation
The blue-star creeper spreads quickly via seed and division. The subterranean rhizomes of the blue star creeper plant facilitate easy division and transplantation. This is how you do it:
- Using a sharp shovel or trowel, carefully dig around the rhizomes and root ball, preserving as many of the roots as possible.
- Using your fingers, carefully pry apart the roots of each plant to gently remove them from the others.
- Plant the fragments in their new positions right away. Plant them 12 to 18 inches apart if you want a ground cover blanket; they will fill in a single growth season.
Divided colonies of blue star creepers are normally not necessary for their survival, but they can occasionally be brought back to life by digging up the entire colony and replanting with more space between plants.
Growing Blue Star Creeper from Seed
The blue star creeper leaves behind dried seed pods when its petals fade, which you can gather or buy seeds from online shops. Follow these simple steps:
- After watering the seed starter mix, spread the little seeds over it and cover the container with plastic wrap.
- Place the container in a partially sunny spot and water the soil regularly, but not so much that it becomes soggy until the seeds emerge.
- Be patient, as it may take 7 to 15 days for the seeds of the blue star creeper to sprout. After the seeds have sprouted, remove the plastic wrap.
Potting and Repotting Blue Star Creeper
It is possible to grow blue star creeper in pots, even if container culture is not common. It can be planted alone to provide texture and colour to certain locations, or it can be used as a spiller plant at the edges of mixed containers. Choose any kind of pot that drains well and fill it with a regular potting mix.
If you are growing them as perennials, make plans to repot them every year or two, increasing the pot size each time. Alternatively, you might cultivate blue star creepers in pots as annuals, tossing them after the growing season.
Common Problems with Blue Star Creeper
Growing and taking care of this plant is easy. Blue Star Creeper is associated with very few popular cultural concerns.
Plants Spread Aggressively
The blue-star creeper can and often does spread outside of its natural habitat, even though it is not officially classified as an invasive species.
If you are not cautious about pulling off runners and removing plants that grow where you do not want them, it can take over a garden. You may help stop this plant from growing in undesirable places by installing deep edging around it.
Dead Spots
The regrowth of blue star creeper can be uneven. But if you notice brown, seemingly dead spots, it’s probably because water is collecting in these regions, which invites fungi and causes illnesses that kill the plants. Before replanting, remove any impacted plants and enhance drainage by adding soil additives.
Plants Go Brown in Winter
Blue-star creeper is best described as semi-evergreen in the northern portion of its hardiness range. Similar to turf grass lawns in these places, it usually goes dormant and turns brown in the winter before reviving with vigorous green growth in the spring. The plant is typically evergreen in areas with milder winters, even though it doesn’t bloom during the winter.
Pests
When it comes to maintaining the lawn of blue star creeper plants, pests are not a major worry. There is no effect of insects on the low-spreading variety. Your grass is also resistant to rabbits, so you won’t have to worry about them taking up residence there!
Slugs and snails, however, might consume blue-star creepers in areas that are overwatered. If you want to guarantee their drunken entrance into the afterlife, set up a beer trap or wait for them to come out at night and retrieve them by hand.
Diseases
This ground cover with blue flowers may have stunted roots due to fungal infections. Thus, to avoid unpleasant fungal problems like damping off and leaf spots, you must grow it in areas that are moist but well-drained.
If you notice any broken or browned pieces beginning to become embedded, remove them. If required, replant where the drainage is better.
FAQ
Does the blue-star creeper prefer the light or the shade?
It prefers dim light to direct sunlight. If the soil in the area drains adequately, it can be okay with some partial shade.
How can I stop the blue star creeper from spreading?
Water a little less frequently, and don’t fertilize too much if you’re planting it to replace a lawn and want it to stay in that one area.
Can I grow blue star creepers indoors?
Yes, growing this plant in a container is a great way to appreciate its beauty without having it overrun your yard.