Next in our series of plants with “bounce-back ability,” no matter what kind of winter we have, is the blue plumbago. Technically, it’s called the cape blue plumbago by horticultural nerds like me, but it’s known by nearly everyone else as simply plumbago. Its botanical name is Plumbago auriculata.
Most people in southeast Texas have seen this soft-blue flowering shrub that can be used in just about any landscape. I think it is best as a mid-sized shrub that can be draped over the edge of a raised bed. It contrasts well with many other plants because of its light green foliage and blue flowers. It seems that no matter what it’s mixed with, it gives off a “cooling” vibe.
While blue plumbago will flower seemingly year-round, it can look a bit gnarly after hard freezes. Then, they can be cut back to the base from which they will rebound like a hardy perennial. In fact, I have actually classified this plant previously as a drought-tolerant perennial.
You can prune it for shape a couple of times a year, and that’s always a good time to apply a slow- or controlled-release fertilizer. If you don’t feed it consistently, it will struggle to produce those gorgeous blue flowers. And if you don’t prune it occasionally, it will get leggy and outgrow certain areas. That’s when some people are misled into thinking it’s not a good choice for Gulf Coast landscaping.
While the need for pruning and feeding keeps this from being a “no-maintenance” landscape plant, I believe it is about as easy to maintain as, say, knockout roses. And in over 25 years of working with blue plumbago, I have never been disappointed with its ability to come back after any Gulf Coast winter.
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