Mistakes To Avoid When Growing Plumbago Ground Cover

Picture this. You're taking a leisurely stroll through your garden, breathing in the serenity and admiring the results of your hard work, when suddenly, you stop dead in your tracks. Before you lies a sea of the prettiest blue you've ever seen. "The plumbagoes are flowering!" you exclaim with a broad smile on your face. Not only that, but the flowers are a hive of activity with bees buzzing from one flower to the next. To enjoy this visual pleasure worthy of a Monet masterpiece, there are a few mistakes everyone makes when growing ground cover that you can avoid. These include not protecting the plant from harsh sunlight, failing to give your plants enough water, pruning at the wrong time or not at all, and not deadheading to encourage more blooms.

There are a variety of plumbago species, but the one you're probably most familiar with is the cape plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) which has delightful sky-blue flowers. Although this variety can grow into quite a rambling shrub, it can be trimmed as a tall ground cover. Just make sure you wear gloves when handling it because it can cause severe skin irritation and contact dermatitis. Another species you may not know as well is the hardy or dwarf plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) which has outstanding azure blue flowers and only grows to a height of 8 inches. As a ground cover, plumbago is one of the best blue-flowering plants that'll help keep weeds out of the garden.

Although plumbago grows in full sun and blooms best when exposed to plenty of bright light, in areas with really hot summers, your plants will benefit from a little afternoon shade, especially if you're growing the dwarf plumbago. If the sun is too harsh, it might burn the leaves. You'll also find that your plumbago will bloom more prolifically when given enough moisture during the warmer months. If you don't do this, you may notice your plants starting to wilt, and the stress this causes might inhibit flowering. As a general rule of thumb, it's better to water in the morning rather than in the evening to prevent stress and fungal growth. 

The other thing you must do is prune your plumbago at the correct time, which is late winter or early spring. This is because the plants bloom on the new growth, so you need plenty of it for an explosion of color in summer. Pruning is also essential if you want your cape plumbago to continue as a ground cover, otherwise, the growth will start to heighten. Plus, it's wise to deadhead spent blooms regularly to encourage more flowers to grow. Similarly, if you're growing the dwarf plumbago variety, it can spread quite aggressively, so regular trimming is needed to keep it in check.  As a bonus, you'll find that this fast-growing ground cover will attract hummingbirds and pollinators to your yard.