Plumbago auriculata / capensis

Plumbago auriculata or capensis is a native of South Africa where it is typically part of the undergrowth under larger shrubs and bushes.

It has become quite popular as a smallish climber in regions with mild winters. The foliage will be killed off by frost but a well-established plant can withstand up to -8°C, growing back from the ground in the spring.

With the night frosts of -4°C in January of this year, mine turned into a heap of brown twigs and leaves, that I cut down to the ground in March. By April it had come back and grew into a gigantic plant of around 200×150 cm, twining through and around the Lonicera shrub it is planted behind. It flowers tirelessly between June and October in a wonderful shade of blue.

In my garden it seems to appreciate its half-shady spot between the raised vegetable beds and a Lonicera fragrantissima, where it gets full sun in the morning and until the middle of the afternoon. The soil there probably stays stay a bit more humid than in other parts of the garden and it probably also profits some from the deep waterings the neighboring vegetables get. In the summer I water it more once every 2-3 weeks and it’s just fine.