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Plumbago auriculata
Also called Quaker, Quaker Blossom, Plumbago, Blue Plumbago
In Singapore: Cape Leadwort, Cheraka, Cape Plumbago, Forget-Me-Not (Cultivated in Singapore)
Cape leadwort is an evergreen shrub that is often grown as a climber, with glossy green leaves and blue or white flowers. It is grown outdoors in frost-free areas and indoors elsewhere, and it does best in full sun.
Plumbago auriculata, the Cape leadwort, blue plumbago or Cape plumbago, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae, native to South Africa and Mozambique.
The specific epithet auriculata means "with ears", referring to the shape of the leaves., leaf venation - reticulate.
In temperate regions, it may be grown outside in frost free areas, otherwise under glass. It grows best in full sun to part shade.
The species and the white-flowered form P. auriculata f. alba have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Many secondary metabolites have been discovered and isolated from Plumbago auriculata such as plumbagin and palmitic acids.
Native to South Africa, it extends from the Southern Cape region to Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. It can also be found in Gauteng and the adjoining areas of Free State and the North West Province. There is also an isolated occurrence in Mpumalanga. Typically the species grows in bushes or thickets. As an ornamental plant, it is widespread today in the tropics and subtropics (including the Mediterranean region).
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Plumbago auriculata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
