Plumbago Capensis - 1 plant v.17 cm

Plumbago is a perennial plant with a bushy and climbing habit, very decorative and known by the names of PLUMBAGO or BLUE JASMINE.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (vascular plants)
Division: Magnoliophyta (formerly Angiospermae)
Class: Magnoliopsida (formerly Dicotyledones)
Order: Plumbaginales
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Plumbago
Species: see the section "Main species"
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

The genus Plumbago belongs to the family Plumbaginaceae and includes plants native to temperate climate regions of Asia, also known as PLUMBAGO or BLUE JASMINE.

These are evergreen plants with a bushy and climbing habit, exhibiting a very varied appearance due to their rather disorderly growth, with stems that can develop up to 4.5 m in wild plants. However, when trained and properly supported, they can produce very decorative and more compact plants.

They are used as climbers that produce beautiful blooms in summer.

The flowers, gathered in spike-like inflorescences 20 to 30 cm long, are blue or red depending on the species and variety, consisting of a tubular part about 4 cm long that opens into a corolla formed by 5 petals and about 2.5 cm wide.

MAIN SPECIES

There are about ten species, among which we mention

Plumbago capensis or auriculata

Plumbago capensis is native to South America and is known as BLUE JASMINE; it is the most widespread and cultivated.

It is a climbing plant that can reach 2 m in height when grown at home. Both the stems and branches are woody and have beautiful intense green, oval leaves up to 5 cm long.

The flowers are blue, gathered in groups of 20 to form spikes 25-30 cm long.

There are several varieties that differ in flower color, such as the "Alba" variety with white flowers.

CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE

These are hardy plants that do not present particular cultivation difficulties.

They do not tolerate cold, especially when young; temperatures should not drop below 10°C. High summer temperatures are better tolerated.

They love light, so they should be exposed to full light and for a few hours to direct sunlight, but not during the hottest hours of the day.

They can be grown in pots or outdoors in temperate climate areas, provided they are positioned so that they do not receive direct sunlight during the hottest hours of summer days and are sheltered from drafts.

If grown outdoors and the winter season suddenly experiences excessive temperature fluctuations, ensure to protect the roots and stem with straw, peat, or non-woven fabric covers. In any case, they can be easily grown indoors and taken outside only during the good season.

Remember that they are sensitive to frost.

Since they are climbing plants, it is preferable to provide supports like trellises or even simple poles to which the branches should be tied. If not secured to a support, they will have a trailing habit.

WATERING

During the growing season, from spring to summer, it should be watered abundantly, and it is necessary to wait until the soil is dry on the surface before the next watering.

Be careful of water stagnation, which is not tolerated.

They enjoy a humid environment, so they should be misted regularly until the flowers appear, then suspended to avoid staining them. It is preferable to mist the plants early in the morning and never when in direct sunlight.

SOIL TYPE - REPOTTING

Repot at the beginning of spring using a pot slightly larger than the previous one, up to a maximum size of 30 cm, using good fertile soil. Once this size is reached, only the top 3-5 cm of soil should be removed and replaced with fresh soil.

It is important to place gravel or pieces of broken pottery at the bottom of the pot to facilitate the rapid drainage of excess watering, as they do not tolerate water stagnation.

I personally recommend using terracotta pots, although many opt for plastic pots (less expensive and with more drainage holes). I believe terracotta pots are preferable because, being porous, they allow the soil to breathe.