Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: blue plumbago

Family: Plumbaginaceae (Leadwort)

Distribution: China

Habitat: Rocky places, foothills

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5 (-20 to -10 °F)

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Occurrence in New Mexico: Exotic

Growing Conditions: The native habitat of plumbago is rocky places, often in foothills of Henan, Jiangsu, Beijing Shi, Shanxi and Zhejiang, China. It is easily grown in sandy or loamy soil. It is somewhat tolerant of poor soil, but does not tolerate wet, poorly drained soils. It grows in full sun to part shade, and appreciates some afternoon shade in New Mexico summers. It tolerates dry soil but grows best with a medium amount of water. It spreads by rhizomes to form an excellent groundcover, but is not evergreen and does not tolerate foot traffic. Plumbago does well as an under-planting for shrubs or an edging for perennial beds. This is a good plant for inter-planting with spring bulbs because foliage emerges late in spring as the bulb foliage is dying back. It is not fully hardy in Zones 5 to 6, so should by planted in a protected area or mulched in late fall for winter protection in Santa Fe. This somewhat aggressive plant has deep roots that re-sprout when cut, so be certain that you are planting it in a desirable location.