Baby Blue Plumbago or Pale Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) first captured my attention when I was in my sister's garden. My sister gave me a long stem cutting from her plant. I brought it back, cut the long stem into shorter cuttings and propagate them in a small pot. That was when I first started to collect plants for my newly started garden project.
The cuttings took quite a while to grow new shoots. It was left in its pot until I could see more new shoots growing. I then re-potted it into a medium sized pot. Over time, it grew into a big bushy plant and I have propagated many baby plants from it for my friends. And one of the baby plants has gone back to my sister's garden after her first plant died.
Baby Blue Plumbago is an evergreen shrub. It can tolerate drought and grows well in warm, sunny climate with well-drained soil. When the leaves and flowers start to droop, watering it will restore it back to life. It likes the sun, at least a few hours of sunlight to bloom well. Less sunlight, less blooms. It is a lasting plant with woody stem. It needs little maintenance and it flowers all the year round.
It can be grown in the ground as well as in pots. It needs plenty of room for its bushy branches to spread out and show off its small, blue flowers that bloom in clusters. It has long, thin stems and bright green oval shaped leaves. The flowers are small, pale blue with 5 petals.
If it gets too bushy or out of shape, just trim it back and remove all dead branches or diseased ones to encourage new shoots to grow from its base. After trimming, fertilize it and it will grow back into shape and will bloom beautifully.
Baby Blue Plumbago can grow easily from stem cuttings. My first plant was grown from stem cuttings. Do not over-water Blue Plumbago. After more than 2 weeks or non-stop rain this is how my plant looks like. I have trimmed back all the unhealthy branches and sprinkled some fertilizer over the soil in the pot. Hopefully, there will be more sunlight in the coming days to help get my plants back to good health.
Blue Plumbago can be used to treat rheumatism and arthritis pain: Crushed the fresh leaves into a paste, mixed with cooking oil and paste on the joint or affected part.
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.
(Proverbs 15:30, New International Version-NIV)
Nancy, I have seen this plant before and I love the pretty flowers!
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are pretty when in full bloom
DeleteUsually those plants that i saw, i do not know the name, thanks for sharing about it...
ReplyDeleteThank Sharon.
DeleteI know this plant, very bushy and like you say, it has to be trimmed. It looks really nice when in full bloom.
ReplyDeleteThey are nice and pretty esp in full bloom.
DeleteI like the lovely shade of blue of the flowers. I don't think I have seen this flower being sold in nursery here.
ReplyDeleteI too have not seen them in most nursery, don't know why.
DeleteDear Nancy,
ReplyDeleteHow gorgeous, I love these beautiful photos.
Thank you, Linda, good day to you.
DeleteThe blue shade of these is really heavenly! I believe some are around here.
ReplyDeleteI think over there, the flowers would be bigger?
DeleteHi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteHappy 2015! Your blooming little blue flowers are so beautiful. They look like they are smiling to me..
Zoe
Hi Zoe, Happy 2015 to you too. Yes, my flowers are smiling to thank you for admiring them.
Deleteyou really have green fingers...all your plants are growing nicely under your tender care :) love this baby blue flowers !
ReplyDeleteElin, you want to plant this?
Delete