Warning

Seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

Description

A scrambling semi-climber or shrub popular as a garden ornamental to 2m tall often used as a hedge specimen.

The blue or white flowers are tubular with 5 petals or lobes, have glandular sticky hairs and are held in short spikes or racemes at the ends of the branches.

The light green leaves are oblong to oblong-spathulate usually 4-5cm long (but can be up to 7cm long) with an entire margin tapered into a very short petiole or stalk.

Toxicity

  • Irritant to skin or eyes

Symptoms

Contact with the sap, leaves, stems and roots may cause skin irritation, blistering and dermatitis.

Images

Plumbago white flowers
Photo by Mary Louden
Plumbago shrub with blue flowers
Photo by Mary Louden
Plumbago flowers
Photo by Mary Louden

Details

Common name: Plumbago

Botanical namePlumbago auriculata.

Other common names: Leadwort, Cape Leadwort

Family: Plumbaginaceae

General description: A scrambling semi-climber or shrub popular as a garden ornamental to 2m tall often used as a hedge specimen.

Flowers: The blue or white flowers are tubular with 5 petals or lobes, have glandular sticky hairs and are held in short spikes or racemes at the ends of the branches.

Leaves: The light green leaves are oblong to oblong-spathulate usually 4-5cm long (but can be up to 7cm long) with an entire margin tapered into a very short petiole or stalk.

Fruit/Berries: The fruit are small capsules covered with sticky hairs.