PLUMBAGO * A LOVELY BLUE-FLOWERED,
BUTTERFLY PLANT FOR TEXAS
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If you are looking for a plant that loves the
heat, doesn't mind long, humid summers, and is reasonably drought
tolerant, then consider plumbago (Plumbago auriculata {p. capenis}
Plumbaginacceae). Plumbago is a tender perennial that has lovely
flowers of blue. There is a white form which mixes well in plantings
with the blue. The plumbago blooms non-stop from summer until
first frost. It seems to have no diseases or pests -- even deer
and other varmints will not eat it in some neighborhoods. Although
it blooms best in full sun, the plumbago can take considerable
shade and still have an abundance of blooms. It will keep your
yard full of butterflies all summer. In South Texas , the plumbago
is an evergreen that will reach two to three feet high and three
to four feet wide. It should be cut to the ground every fall
or winter. Plumbago will flower profusely after being cut back
or after a growth flush, as it bears flowers on new wood. Plumbago
should be pruned heavily to keep it neat and within bounds and
to make it bushy to maximize the number of flowers. It is fast
growing, drought resistant and will grow in any soil but will
perform best if planted and mulched heavily.
The Plumbago is native to South Africa. The name
Plumbago is derived from plumbum meaning lead - referring to
it being a supposed cure for lead poisoning. Auriculata means
ear shaped and refers to the leaf base. Plumbago auriculata
was known as P. capensis, which was the name given by the botanist,
Thunberg in 1794. However, the plant had already been named
auriculata by Lamarck in 1786 in what was known as the East
Indies where it had been taken as a garden plant! The Dutch
East India Company trade routes included the Cape and this was
most likely how the plant reached the East Indies. It is also
known as Skyflower because of its sky-blue color.
Children often make "earrings" with
the sticky flowers - letting them stick to their earlobes. There
are sticky, gland tipped hairs on the flower calyx. The seed
capsule retains the stickiness which presumably helps disperse
the seed by attaching to animals. The top of the capsule splits
opens and drops the seed out.
Plumbago is used traditionally to treat warts, broken bones
and wounds. It is taken as a snuff for headaches and as an emetic
to dispel bad dreams. A stick of the plant is placed in the
thatch of huts to ward off lightning.
Use plumbago in borders and for color massed
in beds. Many gardeners use plumbago as a background or filler
plant under and in front of shrubs that have stronger frameworks.
Its rambling habit makes plumbago highly suitable for use as
a flowering groundwave. Plumbago also is used as a porch or
patio container plant that spills over the sides and is covered
with the showy blue flowers.
Plumbago makes a good, fast growing "exclusion
zone" or bush-clump plant for attracting birds which like
dense plant growth. I have mentioned that butterflies love to
gather on the plumbago so your landscape can easily be transformed
into a nature preserve simply by planting this newest Texas
SuperStar called plumbago. Enjoy!!
