Chinese leptodermis is a tidy, dwarf, 1 to 2 foot high, mounding shrub used at the front of the border or in a rock garden. The showy clusters of violet tubular flowers are fragrant and bloom late spring and intermittent into fall. May be difficult to find in nurseries.
- Family (English) Madder
- Family (botanic) Rubiaceae
- Tree or plant type Shrub
- Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
- Native locale Non-native
- Size range Medium plant (12-24 inches), Low-growing shrub (under 3 feet)
- Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
- Hardiness zones Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7
- Soil preference Alkaline soil, Moist, well-drained soil
- Tolerances Alkaline soil, Occasional drought
- Season of interest late spring, early summer, midsummer, late summer
- Flower color and fragrance Fragrant, Purple
- Shape or form Mounded
- Growth rate Slow
