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With love and passion, everyone can have a nice garden...Elaine Yim

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Count The Garden By The Flowers, Never By The Leaves That Fall.
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..... Author unknown.

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Malaysian Flora USDA Zone 11
Welcome to our exotic world of everlasting summers and tropical rainforests!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Plumbago




Plumbago adds colour to my garden!

I found the baby plant at the Sungai Buloh nurseries and fell in love the blue flowers instantly. It had cost me 3 ringgit then. I have been growing this blue beauty for 2 years and still do not know its name until today. Bingo!





Scientific name: Plumbago auriculata
Synonym: Plumbago capensis

Common name: Cape Leadwort, Blue Plumbago, Cape Plumbago, Sky Flower
Chinese name: 蓝雪花 (lan zue hua - blue snowflakes)
Malay name: Ceraka Biru

Family: Plumbaginaceae
Origin: Cape Province of South Africa
Category: Evergreen perennial shrub

Photo taken at: My home garden

The genus Plumbago is derived from the Latin words, "plumbum" meaning lead and "agere" meaning "to resemble".  The flowers resemble the lead-blue flowers of a plant known as "molybaina" that could cure lead poisoning. The species name auriculata means "ear-shaped" after the leaf bases.

There are about 10-20 species in the plumbago family. Some species, cultivars and varieties include Plumbago zeylanica (Derhaka Putih/Ceraka Putih/Ceraka Bukit) and Plumbago ariculata 'Escapade White' with white flowers, Plumbago indica (Ceraka Kampung/Derhaka Mertua) with red flowers. Some species have pink or purple flowers.



Are the flowers blue? or is it pale purple? 

Anyway, it is a nice change from the usual pink, red, orange flowers that I have in my garden. It is good to be able to mix colours in nature's lanscape. Gardening can be so interesting and colourful! Just like painting a picture. But this picture changes everyday and every moment. Different flowers bloom and wither and different visitors like the birds, bees, frogs and insects come and go everyday.

As for the flowers, there are hairs at the base of the flowers and buds that tend to stick to clothes and hands. This woody plant is very easy to grow but needs constant triming to get rid of dead ends after the flowers have withered. It loves plenty of sun and watering too. Not much to worry about pests though.


How to grow:
  1. Use as a bush, border plant, ground cover or stand-alone specimen plant
  2. It can be grown on the ground or in a container
  3. Grow under the full sun in moist but well draining soil.
  4. Water regularly.
  5. Fertilize once a fortnight.
  6. Propagation is by cuttings and also by seeds
  7. Prune to maintain shape

8 comments:

  1. I love plumbago as they are one of the few 'true blue' colored flowers in the garden. I grow the hardier variety and it's more of a ground cover than shrub. Your photos are lovely!
    Lynn (NJ)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's very nice to meet you!! I look forward to following your blog! You have some very beautiful plants.

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello!
    Your blog is lovely! I have this plumbago plant in my garden too, I just love the bright flowers it brings to the garden. I've seen it in a white color and a rare variety that has red blooms.

    ReplyDelete
  4. lynn, jen and karrita,
    Thank you very much for the encouraging comments. Its a great way to start my day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Red plumbago? It is a South African plant, and we have this gentle sky blue, white, and a new one Royal Cape which is a deeper blue. Got a picture of the red please? Diana

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Diana. I only have blue plumbago here. My phrase 'usual pink, red, orange flowers' was actually meant to describe other types of flowers in my garden. I'm sorry for confusing you. So, no red plumbago here. It would be nice if I can find the white and deeper blue ones you mentioned over here.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love plumbago too, and am trying to find the white or red variety? Do u know of any nursery that has them? I plan to start a circular "island" of plumbago with, maybe, a taller woody bush in the middle. Think that would be nice?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have not seen the white or red plumbago at nurseries here. WellGrow Horti-Trading has a Plumbago Escapade White in their website here:

      http://www.wellgrowhorti.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1596

      You can also check with nurseries in Ipoh or at Sungei Buloh Green Lane, link:

      http://mygardendirectory.blogspot.com/p/selangor-green-lane.html

      Delete

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