Plumbago auriculata (Cape Leadwort)

Plumbago auriculata (Cape Leadwort) is an evergreen vine to sprawling, mounding shrub boasting a profusion of beautiful sky-blue, five-lobed, trumpet-shaped flowers on short racemes over a long season. Blooming freely from spring through summer or nearly all year in warm, frost-free locations, the blossoms are borne at the tips of slender, scandent stems bearing light green, spoon-shaped leaves. The gracefully arching branches fall over each other, producing a shrub-like mass. Cape Leadwort can also be trained on a trellis as a vine or used as a groundcover. Gorgeous spilling over the edges of large containers or cascading down a retaining wall, showing off the unusual blue flowers. Plumbago ranks as a top choice among tropical flowers for enthusiasts and gardeners.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows up to 6-10 ft. tall (180-300 cm) and 8-10 ft. wide (240-300 cm).
• Easily grown in organically rich, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. Site in a location protected from strong winds. Consistently moist soils are best during the growing season. Drought tolerant once established.
• Great for beds and borders, wall-side borders, containers, and Mediterranean gardens.
• Virtually disease free. Keep an eye out for mealybugs, tortrix moth, glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite on indoor plants. Deer resistant.
• Cut back sideshoots to within three to four buds of the permanent framework of branches to promote more compact growth and more blooms.
• Propagate by seed at 13-18°C in spring, or take semi-hardwood cuttings in mid-summer with bottom heat.
• Native to South Africa.