Cape Plumbago

Form: evergreen ( in frost free areas )shrub or vine
Seasonality: perennial
Size: mound 3-10' high
Flowers: tubular pale blue flowers, up to 1 inch wide (2.5 cm). Blooms throughout the year in Southern Arizona with denser blooms from March to November. Flowers vary in color from white to intense blue. The flowers are borne in rounded terminal clusters 6" across, and look a quite a bit like Phlox flowers
Fruit: a capsule
Stems/Trunks: whip-like semi-woody stems. 2" oblong leaves are a light yellowish green color
Range/Origin: Plumbago is native to South Africa, and is a popular ornamental in subtropical gardens in Florida and California
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8B-11. Plumbago can withstand some frosts. Even if killed to the ground, it usually recovers quickly
LANDSCAPE VALUE: can be pruned to form a vine or a mounded shrub. has a long flowering period. Makes a good cover for banks, fences or walls
CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun. Flowering will be reduced in partial shade
• Water: Plumbago survives with little watering once established, and is considered moderately drought tolerant
• Soil: Plumbago does best in light, sandy soils with good drainage. Do not add lime to the soil; plumbago likes a slightly acidic pH. The foliage may turn yellow due to manganese deficiency, but applying manganese sulfate will cure that
• Propagation: seed or cuttings of semi-ripe tips in summer
• Maintenance: Plumbago can be pruned to grow like a vine. Plumbago should be pruned heavily to keep it neat and within bounds and to make it bushy to maximize the number of flowers. It produces its flowers on the current season's growth, so you can prune plumbago in late winter and not worry about cutting off flower bud

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This page compiled for the Moody Demonstration Garden by D. Post 28 Feb 2003
Sunset Western Garden Book; Sunset Books Inc.; Menlo Park, CA 94025, 6th ed.

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