Plumbago is a perennial grown for its blue blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11, shrugs off deer, shrugs off dry spells, and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and butterflies.
Plumbago — the short answer
Plumbago: grown in zones 9–11, full sun, pH 5.5–7.
- USDA zones
- 9–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Plumbago on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether plumbago actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score plumbago against your land's real conditions.
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What Plumbago is
Plumbago grows as a perennial and reaches around six feet at maturity. It blooms blue in summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Plumbago
Plumbago grows in USDA zones 9 through 11. Plumbago does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
9-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
6 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant plumbago in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Plumbago prefers pH 5.5 to 7 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut plumbago blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Plumbago thrives
Plumbago is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–11 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–11·Where Plumbago growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Plumbago stands, state by state
Plumbago is rated for zones 9–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
Plumbago’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Plumbago
Growing guides for plumbago
In rotation planning, plumbago counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — plumbago isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Plumbago offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Plumbago's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Plumbago will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether plumbago actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Plumbago
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Plumbago in my zone?
Plumbago grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Plumbago?
Most growers plant plumbago after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Plumbago need?
Plumbago needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Plumbago need?
Plumbago prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Plumbago attract pollinators?
Yes — plumbago's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and butterflies.
Is Plumbago safe for pets?
Plumbago is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Plumbago
Plumbago state by state
Every state plumbago's zone reaches — 0 link straight to that state's plumbago growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.