A rapid grower, it works beautifully in hedges, trellised or cascading over walls and fences.
Flowers attract pollinators and are popular additions to butterfly gardens.
Whichever form you choose, some maintenance is needed to keep it looking its best.
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This ornamental isn’t overly picky about conditions as long as it’s planted in fertile, well-draining soil.
Light
Cape Plumbago performs well in full sun with six or more hours of exposure daily.
It adapts easily to part shade but does require a minimum of two hours of direct sunlight.
Potted plants, overwintered as perennials, should be kept in a brightly lit room.
Soil
This leadwort does equally well in allsoil typesprovided they are organically rich and drain well.
Water needs are average with about one inch per week sufficient for peak performance.
Temperature and Humidity
Temperatures greater than 60F establish a vigorous growing environment.
Cape Plumbago is evergreen to 25F and root hardy to 10F.
Native to coastal regions of South Africa, it thrives in moist, warm climates and is salt tolerant.
Periods of extremely high temperatures can cause flower colors to fade.
Be consistent about deadheading spent flower clusters throughout the growing season.
Stems that cross along with any that are diseased or damaged can be removed anytime.
Grown as a vine, cape plumbago requires a support.
Arching stems do not attach with tendrils and need to be tied to a stake or trellis.
Consider using suckers to extend your collection of cape plumbago.
This plant produces a good number of suckers from already-rooted rhizomes.
You’ll want to remove suckers when pruning.
Place the rooted rhizome in a pot with fertile, well-drained soil.
Here’s how to grow it starting with seeds in early spring.
Plants also can be repotted in autumn once they’ve entered dormancy.
Move plants indoors when temperatures drop consistently below 50F.
The challenge for wintering indoors is to give your plant adequate light.
Keep it in a brightly lit room or consider adding agrow lightif natural light is insufficient.
Reduce the watering frequency and withhold fertilizer until new growth starts up in spring.
Plants can be returned outdoors at consistent temperatures of 50F.
Cape plumbago foliage is hardy to 25F with roots able to sustain temperatures as low as 10F.
Foliage may die back but will quickly regenerate in spring.
Reduce watering and return plants outdoors when temperatures stay above 50F.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Cape olumbago is relatively free of both pests and plant diseases.
Scale and mites can invade but don’t affect the health of the plant.
Organic pesticides are the best option for controlling a rare infestation.
Bloom Months
Grown in its USDA hardiness zone, Cape Plumbago may bloom year-round.
What Do Cape Plumbago Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Flowers appear in clusters on each stem with five petals.
Lightly aromatic blooms measure 1 to 3 inches across and attract butterflies.
Depending on the variety, flower colors may be rich to soft blue, pink, or white.
Fertilize in early spring and again in autumn in hardiness zones and for potted plants overwintered as perennials.
Common Problems With Cape Plumbago
Cape plumbago adds color and versatility to the garden with few problems.
It won’t look its best though if soil pH is too alkaline and if pruning is neglected.
Here are a few issues that could arise.
Yellowing Leaves
Soil is too alkaline.
Add sphagnum moss or work in some vermiculite to help retain moisture.
Develop a watering schedule to keep soil consistently saturated but not soggy.
Lack of Blooms
For plants overwintered in dormancy, prune stems back in autumn.
Prune all others back in late winter or early spring to encourage the new growth that produces flowers.
It matures rapidly and can reach full size in a year.
