The Plumbago Plant
If a native of the state of Florida, Louisiana or Texas you more than likely have a plumbago plant in your backyard, in a pot on your patio or have brushed pass one as you paid a visit to your Grandma’s house. Because of their hardiness and durability they tolerate the sun and are easily cultivated in hot climates.
Plumbago is a flowering plant of the Plumbaginaceae specie. It originates from the warm tropical climates of the world and is a native of Africa, India, some parts of Asia and the Southern parts of the United States. It shares genius with ceratostigma the dwarf type of plumbago which is shorter and used mostly as a ground covering. It varies from a small ground shrub 1.6 ft to a tall plant over 6ft in height with some as much as 10 feet.This is a shrub with a slender rounded whip-like stem and long tapered leaves. The leaves are simple, spiral shaped and tapered at the base with a hairy margin. Because of the different species some may be evergreen while others deciduous. Its tendency to grow into a sprawling vine makes it necessary to be pruned often or planted in an area where it can randomly sprawl over an enclosure like a fence or trellis to display its luscious bounty of blooms.The flowers are arranged around a tubular corolla of five lobe-like petals. The calyx in the center secretes a sticky substance that traps insects. It is believed that this substance prevents cross pollination by killing crawling insects such as ants which do not usually pollinate other plants. The flowers are found in a variety of colors such as white, blue, purple, red or pink each adding its own luster to beautify a garden and a combination of these colors adds to the beauty of any landscape.Other names used to refer to this beautiful flower include leadwort, Chinese leadwort, and blue ceratostigma. This name may have been given for any one of three reasons below: 1. The lead blue hue of that particular variety 2. A popular eastern belief that it is a cure for lead poisoning 3. The lead blue stain color left by the sap when it comes in contact with the skin
Cultivation
Plumbago is a beautiful plant and as such gives character to any garden. In planting bear in mind it fares better in a light sandy soil. It will require adequate drainage as it does not do very well with heavy moisture and prefers a drought type existence. The soil must be slightly acidic at least 6.5 -7.0, therefore care must be taken that lime is not added to it either in base soil or manure during planting unless to bring up the acidity. To ensure the right acidic content of the soil measure the PH before planting.If greater than 7.0 by adding peat moss you can reduce the PH. If less than 6.5 a small amount of lime may be added to reach the right level of acidity. Although it thrives well in sunlight, plumbago will tolerate some
frost and in the winter months although it will loose foliage and probably die, will recover and thrive once spring rolls around again. Planting can be done through seeds or cuttings in early spring. It may be desirable to purchase small flowering plants to ensure the right color before planting. They can be broken
apart at the root and planted in holes 2-3 feet apart for best spacing. Watering thoroughly at the outset soaking the soil to a depth of approximately 1 inch is important. Follow with frequent watering of 1 inch per week during the growing season. Taper watering times off as the buds appear and the plant becomes hardier. From then the plumbago will thrive better on a semi dry soil.Caring for the Plumbago Plant The plant grows rapidly and requires very little maintenance apart from pruning and occasionally watering once planted. Pruning often as it grows is highly recommended to maintain its desired shape and keep within boundary. Pruning helps it to spread wider and generate more blossoms to provide an offering of more blooms during the summer.
For best results allow it to grow randomly as a ground cover if the dwarf kind, or as a hedge or border for the taller variety. Use the varied colors to coordinate and match any décor. It functions well in large containers to decorate a patio whether in a pot or a window box. Allow it to grow against a low wall then prune it to cascade over the wall giving beauty to a side walk, a path or down a slope in a garden. Relatively non-toxic to humans, mild itching may occur if comes into close contact with the skin because of the hair-like structures on the leaves. It releases a sap however that is poisonous to crawling insects like ants or bugs but is harmless to pollinating creatures such as bees and butterflies.
The plumbago’s use is varied as the plant itself and gardeners can enjoy long months of pleasure and lasting beauty with this plant growing in a garden especially with something like the Blue Plumbago. Part of its attraction is due to the longevity of its blooms. Beginning from early spring its blooms can be enjoyed all year round through a hot dry summer, fall until winter. This makes it a great plant to have in your garden which provides greenery and color when most have died or stop flowering.