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 and a well-loved outdoor landscape 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 Of Interest:

• The Fuss-free Beauty of Sansevieria Twist
• Vanda coerulea – The Blue Orchid
• Brighten Your Day with Anthurium Lady Jane
• Add a Blush to Your Landscape with Neoregelia Margaret