Sep 23, 2006 4 min read

It’s hard not to love a plant that requires very little care, especially when that plant gives so much. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, perennial plumbago, is such a plant – so much so that it is among my “must have” plants in the garden.

I’ll give you fair warning: I am going to start gushing about this plant and I will continue for another 500 words or so. Bear with me, and I think you’ll immediately start thumbing through your plant catalogs to get your own.

Nearly 20 years ago, I ordered my first perennial plumbago, via mail order.

The plant description in the catalog seemed too good to be true. But I bought it: hook, line and sinker — and I’ve never regretted the purchase.

Unlike most of my favorite garden plants, perennial plumbago (also called leadwort) is not native to the Americas.

Depending who you read, it comes from Africa, Asia or the Mediterranean.

It’s a tough little plant, though. I’ve grown it in some of the worst garden soil imaginable. It doesn’t seem to mind a bit, as long as the spot has good drainage.

The saying “Good things come in small packages” certainly applies to perennial plumbago. It is a groundcover that grows 6 to 12 inches tall, and 12 to 18 inches wide. In warmer climate zones, it can be semi-evergreen, but here it dies back to the ground each winter.

Plumbago is late to emerge in spring, but the wait is really worth it. The semiwoody red stems are sort of wiry-looking; nonetheless, they produce shiny green leaves about 1 to 2 inches long. Because it leafs out later, plumbago is a good companion for spring-flowering bulbs. As the leaves of daffodils, tulips and the like begin to yellow and wither, plumbago greens up and fills in.

And what a glorious second act plumbago provides!

Come late summer, blue flowers appear-true blue, not some shade of violet. The 5-petaled, three-quarter-inch diameter, star-shape blossoms resemble those of phlox and form in clusters at the end of the stems, where they are prominently displayed. The bloom time is long lasting, too, until first frost.

If that isn’t enough, as the flowers appear and early fall arrives the leaves begin to turn a reddish-bronze color that continues through autumn. Sometimes I think this little groundcover is trying to mimic the autumn foliage of the trees.

And there are more good things to report about this little plant.

Plumbago prefers full sun, but doesn’t mind a little shade. It creeps, but not invasively, by shallow underground stems and rhizomes. There are no serious pest or disease problems to worry about. It positively thrives in zones 5 to 9. Once established, it is quite drought- tolerant.

And it is deer-resistant, too.

Did I say it is easy to grow?

If you have trouble growing silk plants, this is the garden plant for you. Never mind fussing with it; once you get it settled in pumbago doesn’t mind neglect – really!

However, if you want it to spread faster apply a light fertilizer in early spring and summer.

Once you have some, plumbago is easy to propagate through divisions, root cuttings, stem cuttings and seeds. It looks great in mass plantings around shrubs, along the edge of a perennial border and in rock gardens.

As far as I’m concerned, perennial plumbago is an all-purpose, use-it-just-about-anywhere, if-you-have-any-to-give-away-I’ll-take-all-you-have kind of plant.

With that said, I’m going to go out into the garden and admire my plumbago some more.

Did I mention that it looks great in the fall?

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Susan Brimo-Cox gardens, observes nature and writes in Ohiopyle. Readers can send questions or comments to her at naturesgarden@brimo-cox.com.