Paint the Town Sky Flower Blue with Plumbago Auriculata
By Becky Lowicki, Harris County Master Gardener
Native to South Africa, this heat-loving beauty, Plumbago auriculata, also known as Cape plumbago or sky flower, packs a showstopper bluebird hue of a color punch in the residential landscape.
Comprised of sprawling shrubs with freeform vine-like branches, it is prized for its profusion of blue phlox-like flowers that provide nonstop color in the midst of the summer heat. A top go-to choice in the Houston region, it is frequently featured as a border accent or foundation planting, creating an eye-popper wow moment amidst a green garden backdrop.
A Bounty of Blooms
A perennial shrub which blooms continuously from summer until first frost, it seems to have minimal diseases or pests. While it thrives in full sun, even in considerable shade it will still have an abundance of blooms.
Easy Peasy
An easy to care for selection, plumbago is also known for being deer resistant and drought tolerant, once established. Plumbago may be damaged by an extended freeze, but will quickly recover with new green growth.
Water it regularly and fertilize it each spring, while allowing enough spacing for growth of up to two to three feet tall with a four-foot spread.
Source: Harris County Master Gardeners Urban Dirt Newsletter (June 2023 Edition)
About Urban Dirt
Each month, Harris County Master Gardeners publishes an informative, resourceful newsletter entitled "Urban Dirt". This article was derived from the June 2023 edition. To read the June 2023 edition of this newsletter, click the button below.
