Aegonychon purpurocaeruleum aka Blue Gromwell

Aegonychon purpurocaeruleum lives for more than two years. It belongs to the borage family, Boraginaceae. People call it purple gromwell or creeping gromwell. Its native range runs from Europe to northern Iran. The RHS lists Britain and Ireland as native sites too. Kew places it in the temperate climate zone. Garden sources also use the names Buglossoides and Lithospermum. These names help when you check plant labels or look up the plant.

This plant has upright stems with leaves and spreads outwards. Its creeping runners reach past the spot where you plant it. The RHS gives heights of about 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres]. It gives a spread of about 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre]. The stems have narrow leaves and bear flowers at their tips. Its low height and wide spread fit the name creeping gromwell. Leave room for its runners when you plant it near other plants.

The small flowers have a tube with five lobes at its mouth. The RHS calls their colour a strong gentian blue. It says they bloom in spring and early summer. Chicago Botanic Garden gives a longer season, from May through August. Its record lists blooms in both May–June and July–August. The sources thus differ on how long the flowers last. The blue blooms are the main source of colour they note. Chicago lists the plant for beds and borders.

Choose light soil that lets excess water drain away. The RHS says it copes with chalk and some shade. It grows in sun too, in line with Chicago’s full-sun listing. Chicago says it needs a moderate amount of water. These sources support a site with sun or some shade. They do not give a sound cold-hardiness zone. The Chicago page lists a zero-to-zero zone, not a range you can use.

The RHS account suggests this plant needs little routine care. It needs no pruning and has few pest problems. The RHS says disease is not often a concern. You can grow new plants from seed or by division. Watch its runners where a border has little spare space. The supplied evidence lists no edible uses and does not assess toxicity. It gives no basis for use as medicine either.