Tropicals – Cape Leadwort

• Cape leadwort 

Botanical name: Plumbago auriculata

Beginner friendly?: yes

Average size at maturity: 6 – 8 ft in height and a 8 – 12 ft game 

Bloom time:  spring – fall

Hardy zone: zones 8-11

Flower color: blue/purple/white

Foliage color: green/red

Growth rate: maturity in 6 – 12 months 

Pruning instructions: deadhead withered flowers after flowering

Propagation methods: cut a stem just below a node and place in water until roots start to emerge

Landscape use: Border, Container, Groundcover, Mass Planting

Light needs: 5 – 6 hours of sun a day

Special features: medical benefits 

Watering instructions:  weekly watering during the first growing season, reduce watering during the fall and winter months to only when the top 2 inches of soil have dried

Fertilizing instructions :  use 10-10-10 twice a year, once in the early spring and once in the early fall

Best time to plant: spring or summer

Best type of soil: loam or sand

Companion plants: daffodils, coreopsis, geraniums

Toxicity level: potentially mildly toxic if ingested 

Invasive species: no