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Background to the plumbago plant
The Latin name for the plumbago plant is Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, from the family PLUMBAGINACEAE. It is a perennial, originating from Asia, and a favorite variety is the blue plumbago plant, from South Africa, because of its gorgeous profusion of blue flowers. The blue plumbago has masses of sky blue colored blooms, clusters of small flowers that bloom all summer long. The plumbago plant can have flowers that are white, blue, purple, red, or pink, with five petal-like lobes; they are produced in racemes.
Characteristics of the plumbago plant
The blue plumbago is especially popular because it tolerates heat, and yet will flower in the shade. Butterflies love this plant, and deer hate it, which makes it popular in Texas. It is reasonably drought resistant and will bloom from the summer until the first heavy frost. It is happy to be pruned after the first flush as flowers will grow on the new wood. The plumbago plant is a tender perennial, so it does best if pruned well and is left alone as it does not like being transplanted. It can be quite bushy and grow to nearly 2 feet in height, and is shrub-like in mild climates but will need to be cut to ground level if attacked by heavy frost. It is pretty much disease resistant, so in all is a very good tempered plant for your herbaceous border.
Cultivating the plumbago plant
If you want to grow the plumbago plant from scratch, your best bet is cuttings taken from semi hardwood, last year's growth, about 4 inches long, taken just below a join. Cut all the leaves off, leaving one or two at the top end and put the cuttings in clean water to soak for about 15 minutes. If you have some hormone powder or liquid, dip the ends in the hormone agent, then you will put them in a container of river sand that has good drainage. A simple trick is an ice cream container with holes in the bottom You need to water the cuttings, but they have to stay upright in the sand, so firm it round them, and then put the container in a shady spot. Keep the sand watered and, after about 4 weeks, you should see new little leaves forming. You need to check gently whether roots have formed, and if so you can plant them up into pots of half sand half compost. Only expose them to the morning sun, and keep them watered until they are large enough to plant in your garden. Then, sit back and wait for flowers and butterflies.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about perennials and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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