White plumbago

Plumbago zeylanica

Tropical Asian and African scrambling subshrub with thin glossy leaves and small pure-white phlox-like flowers throughout warm months. The traditional Sri Lankan and Indian medicinal "Ceylon leadwort".

Hardiness ratings

White plumbago hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–12 −6.7 °C to 15.6 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H2 1 °C to 5 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 4–7 0 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Native to tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia
  • Distinct from Cape leadwort Plumbago auriculata (also in this batch §1) — white plumbago has white flowers and a more tropical natural range
  • WARNING: All parts can cause skin irritation in sensitive people — wear gloves when handling
  • Drought tolerant once established
  • Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check White plumbago against your zones

Reference

White plumbago on Wikipedia