Transform Any Landscape with the Smiling Plumbago

If you are looking for a plant that loves the heat, can survive long, humid summers, and is drought-tolerant, then plumbago plants are the right plants for you.  Plumbago is consists of 10 – 20 species of flowering plants that are native to warm and tropical regions of the world.  The one shown here is Plumbago auriculata also called Plumbago capensis, Blue plumbago, Cape plumbago or Cape leadwort.  The name Plumbago is derived from Latin  plumbum (lead), because this species has flowers that are lead-colored.  In addition, this name was derived from the belief that the plant at one time was supposed to be a cure for lead poisoning. Auriculata comes from the little ears on the base or at either side of the leaves.

The oblong leaves of Plumbago auriculata are light yellowish green in color with a hairy margin.  These leaves are spirally arranged on the semiwoody stems, forming a loose, rounded mound. Plumbago auriculata flowers are light blue to blue in color although some species come in white (Plumbago auriculata var. alba) or cobalt blue (Plumbago auriculata ‘Royal cape’) in color.

Nowadays, Plumbago is a well known houseplant and a well-loved outdoor plant. This evergreen shrub grows well in containers making it a great choice for porch or patio container plant.  It can be used in borders, foundation plantings, landscaping around bridges, for color massed in beds, as a background or filler plant, and as a formal hedge.  Plumbago is highly suitable for use as a flowering groundwave because it beautifully showers the air with its pretty blue flowers making it a favorite of the butterflies.  Its fast and bushy growth habit makes it a perfect “exclusion zone” or bush-clump plant for attracting birds.  So many uses for Plumbago but absolutely no diseases or pests!  In addition, this plant also has medicinal uses – from treating warts, broken bones and wounds,  to dispeling bad dreams, and even to ward off lightning.

Related Articles

• Vanda coerule - The Blue Orchid - Vanda is considered to be one of the most beautiful orchids around the world. It is grown for its wonderful foliage and beautiful flowers that are rich in color.  If you are a keen observer, you will notice that its stem interestingly strives toward sunlight. The stems can tackle the heat of the sun but
• Bromeliad Flowers - The Bromeliad family is consists of large, varied, and very diverse plant members. Plants belonging to this group are well-known for their foliage colors. Every plant has its unique form. The colorful and captivating flowers of some Bromeliad plants can last for months. Since most of us are very familiar with the attractive