Choose plumbago by flower color and habit first: Cape blue, white Cape, or doctorbush. We list three kinds.
Choose Cape plumbago, white Cape, or doctorbush
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sky-blue sprawl | P. auriculata (Cape / cape leadwort) | A hardy 8 in groundcover tag |
| White Cape | P. auriculata f. alba | Copying dwarf-plumbago care onto Cape |
| White native / doctorbush | P. scandens (often sold as P. zeylanica) | A Ceratostigma mat for a frost-free wall |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of plumbago that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the Latin on the tag. Cape and doctorbush are the same genus. Florida sheets treat doctorbush as P. zeylanica or P. scandens — still Plumbago. [1] ‘Alba’ is the white Cape form we list. [2] Cape is a tender sprawling shrub; the hardy groundcover sold as dwarf plumbago is a different genus. Match the Latin before you buy.
Is doctorbush the same as P. zeylanica?
Florida sheets treat Plumbago zeylanica as another name for P. scandens, the white doctorbush. Confirm Latin. It is still Plumbago, not Ceratostigma.
Browse by kind
Cape plumbago
Cape plumbago (P. auriculata) is the sky-blue shrub most US searches want. Sprawling, somewhat vine-like, with phlox-like clusters on new growth.
White Cape plumbago
White Cape (P. auriculata f. alba) carries white clusters on the same sprawling habit. Confirm Plumbago auriculata, not a hardy groundcover tag.
Doctorbush
Doctorbush (P. scandens) is the white species often tagged P. scandens or P. zeylanica. Warm-climate, still not Ceratostigma.
Not this plumbago — dwarf plumbago and Ceratostigma
- Dwarf plumbago in hardy catalogs is usually Ceratostigma plumbaginoides: a 6 to 8 inch rhizomatous groundcover with gentian-blue flowers and bronze fall leaves. [3] Care for that genus is on How to Grow Dwarf Plumbago.
- Chinese hardy plumbago (C. willmottianum) is a small hardy shrub in the same genus — still not Cape.
- Leadwort as a shop word can mean either genus. Match the Latin. Groundcover searches for plumbago often want Ceratostigma. [4]
Is plumbago the same as dwarf plumbago?
Usually no. Dwarf or hardy plumbago is Ceratostigma, a low groundcover. This page is Plumbago — Cape, white Cape, or doctorbush.
If the tag says plumbago and the plant is a low hardy mat with bronze fall leaves, you have Ceratostigma — match the Latin.
FAQ
Do we list Imperial Blue or Royal Cape?
No. Those are auriculata cultivars on some lists. The three here are Cape, white Cape, and doctorbush.
Why does a label say sky flower?
Sky flower is another common name for Cape plumbago. Same plant as P. auriculata.
Is white Cape the same as doctorbush?
No. White Cape is P. auriculata f. alba. Doctorbush is P. scandens, a different species, still white.
Related guides
References
- [1] University of Florida IFAS -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/plumbago/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/plumbago-auriculata/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ceratostigma-plumbaginoides/ - [4] Old Farmer's Almanac -
https://www.almanac.com/plant/plumbago-plants
This note is part of Plumbago Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors