Lithodora fruticosa aka Shrubby Gromwell

Lithodora fruticosa belongs to the borage family, Boraginaceae. It is a subshrub, a plant with woody growth. Its native range runs from southern France to northwestern Africa. Kew lists it as a plant of temperate regions. The RHS says it is not native to Great Britain. It is not native to Ireland either. These records give its broad home range, not its care needs.

The term subshrub tells us about its growth form. It does not tell us how large this plant grows. The supplied species records give no height for a full-grown plant. They give no spread, or width, for one either. They also give no details about the bark or stems. The same gap applies to the plant’s leaves. These sources thus do not support a precise account of its size. Nor do they support a clear account of its foliage.

The RHS accepts Lithodora fruticosa as the correct name. Its page also describes the wider genus. That part does not deal with this species alone. We cannot use it to state this plant’s flower colour. Nor can we use it to say when it blooms. It does not show that this species is evergreen. In other words, it does not confirm year-round leaf cover. The supplied evidence gives no flower details for this species. It gives no fruit details for the species either.

The records confirm the plant’s name and broad native range. They also state that it has a woody growth form. But they do not say how to grow it. They give no care needs or limits for frost. They do not state how to use it in a landscape. Its place in temperate regions does not fill those gaps. These sources leave its garden needs and uses unconfirmed.

The records do not assess this plant’s pests or diseases. They do not assess whether people can eat it. Nor do they assess whether it is toxic, or poisonous. Those points remain unconfirmed in the evidence supplied here. A lack of safety details does not prove safety. Do not read that gap as proof that this plant is safe to eat.