[Umbrian]

Plumbago auriculata is a favourite of mine as good blue flowers are not always easy to find. Here they get cut back to ground level every winter but make good strong growth in the spring and reward me with flowersw when other sukects have gone into retirement. My most successful specimins are planted on the south side of the house, against the wall with the added protection of a terrace alongside.( This also protects against excessive drying out in the hot summer months I believe, a common problem with subjects planted close to walls)
I am attempting to post a photograph but after my first successful attempt, that surprised even me!, I do not seem to have been so successful with a posting under "Climbers" - Humulus lupulus. Any feedback would be gratefully received!

[MikeHardman]

Yup - it is a favourite of mine, too. That's partly because my Mum was fond of hers. She would be very pleased to know I grow them now.
It flowers for a long time here, and has a faithful following by way of Lang’s Short-tailed Blue butterflies (Leptotes pirithous). They are more intent on laying eggs than nectaring on the flowers. The larvae are small, and on a good sized Plumbago in good health, they do little damage - well worth it for the pleasure of seeing the adults.
The butterfly is at the end of this page - http://www.cyprusbutterflies.co.uk/page12.html.

[JTh]

I saw a couple of very nice blue ones today near the local market and thought that was something I should try, but I want to know what their water requirements are, do they need to be watered regularly? I tried to see if there was any information about this on the internet, I didn't see much about watering, but it is nice to know that: 'Plumbago is used traditionally to treat warts, broken bones and wounds. It is taken as a snuff for headaches and as an emetic to dispel bad dreams. A stick of the plant is placed in the thatch of huts to ward off lightning.' (ref. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/plumbago.htm). I see now that the same source  says that it  is drought resistent, so I guess that will be something to look for when I go  backt to Greece in September.

[oron peri]

Jorun,

Plumbago auriculata can be considered as a droght resistant plant, once established it can survive even with no watering at all.
In good conditions it  can become quite a problem if you dont control it, as it offsets easily.
'Royal Cape' is a fantastic cultivar which has a dark intense blue color and is wondefull in a big containar.

[John J]

I can confirm what Oron says about the Plumbago, mine not only survive without supplementary water they seem to thrive. Also their potential for being a bit of a thug. I have them as part of a hedge at the top of my 'field' and they clamber all over the oleanders and a fig tree and need to be regularly cut back or they'd completely take over.

[Umbrian]

Both the plants that I introduced yesterday as favourites would seem to regarded, to some degree or another, as "thugs" by some members! - Plumbago auriculata and Humulus lupulus. I think this illustrates  just how growing conditions can vary from one Mediterranean area to another. Although we get long hot summers here with temperatures into the high 30's, our winters can be cold with temperatures well below freezing.

[pamela]

Hello Carol!

Plumbago its such good value and I don't regard it as a 'thug'.  In fact I don't have any thugs except maybe Oxalis pes-caprae which is everywhere in early spring.   But I happily pull it out and wait for even more next year!! The heat and dryness kills thuggery here! Getting back to Plumbago, I have three colours mid blue, a wonderful deep blue and white. I love them them all, trailing everywhere, flowering right into winter and they never need extra water

[julie]

Plumago seems to be a favourite internationally.  Here in South Australia I can happily say it is a popular drought tolerant plant which is used as a shrub and for hedging.  It seems to thrive quite happily in Adelaide and also I have seen very healthy specimens in the Adelaide hills where although the rainfall is higher, it is also considerably colder in winter, sometimes with the occasional fall of snow, and still it is quite beautiful.

[John]

Some years ago, at least 15, I was at Christopher Wrays lighting emporium on the Kings Road and had parked round the back where they had a stunning hedge of this plant several years old and a cloud of blue. This was of course in London but it did eventually succumb to one of our more usual winters.

[JTh]

I am pleased to see that the two plumabgos I planted last yearhave  survided and they look perfectly healthy, they are in bloom now, so I am grateful for the advice I got on this site. I gues the mild, wet winter this year was a good start.

[Fleur Pavlidis]

Let me come in with one of my mundane practical pieces of advice - please don't plant Plumbago where you're going to brush against it. At my old house I planted it to grow up a wall next to a narrow path because it has no trouble with shade, but every time we passed along during the flowering season we would get covered in spent flowers which have a sneaky soft burr on them. Nikos would go off to work with flowers in his hair and people behind me in the supermarket queue would succumb to the temptation to pick them off my back. Embarrassing.

[MikeHardman]

Well said, Fleur!

While I remember, at the garden we visited with the MGS at Delikipos near Nicosia last weekend, I saw a darker-flowered P. auriculata. While the regular pale blue is lovely, this darker one was striking; one of those 'I'd like one of those' moments. Of course, it is difficult to be totally objective - perhaps some of my want was a reflection of the plant just being different from the norm. But I think it is worth considering, either on its own, or mixed with the regular blue one.
I am no expert on P. cultivars, but if you were to research 'Royal Cape', you'd not be far wrong.
http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/plumbago-royal-cape/

[JTh]

Thank you for your advice, Fleur, those I planted are well away from my or anybody else's hair.

[Umbrian]

I used Plumbago extensively in  pots this year both at my house and in the 30+ pots I oversee the planting of every spring at a nearby Villa. It has performed well and I am hoping will survive the winter with a little bit of protection. During the worst of the heat the flowers were reduced but now are covering the plants again. A very worthy contender for container planting especially in its paler forms as it mixes well with many other plants.

[MikeHardman]

That sounds nice.

Regarding protecting outdoor pot plants over winter...

I have seen folks wrap the pots in various types of insulation, but they often tuck it under the pots as well. To my mind that is a mistake. That would insulate them from the chilling winds and frosts, but it would also insulate them from the vast heat store that is the ground. I suggest insulating the sides but ensuring the pot rests on the ground.

That is all to give the roots a chance. The top growth is another issue.
Some people use horticultural fleece. But I don't think that's very viable in a med. climate. It makes a greater sail area for the winter storms to catch, making damage more likely (and more likely for the pot to get blown over). I would prefer to move the pots to a sheltered position and give no artificial protection to the top growth. I would not be surprised to have some of the twigs die-off over winter, but that does not worry me unduely.

Of course, it all depends on the hardiness of the plant.