Plumbago auriculata

Plumbago or Cape Plumbago

Family: Plumbaginaceae
Zone: 8-10                              Average Size: 3’H x 5’W

Identification:

-Mounding, rambling form with flexible stems
-Simple leaf, spatulate to 2 inches long, light yellow-green
-Foliage appears whorled along stem
-Clusters of light blue flowers, slender funnel-form corolla, sticky hairs at the base of each flower

Note:   Plumbago is a striking and versatile tropical shrub. The light green foliage and sky blue flowers provide an unusual color to the landscape. Left on its own, Plumbago becomes a mounding shrub with long arching stems. With support, these stems will climb like a vine; left alone, they will trail out of planter or down a wall. In cold winters, the plant may be killed to the ground, but will recover quickly in the late spring.

Campus Location: Julian C. Miller Hall, west entrance