Plumbago, << pluhm BAY goh, >> also called leadwort, is the name of several garden plants and shrubs grown for their clusters of blue, white, or reddish-purple flowers. The flaring petals of each flower are joined at the center to form a long tube. The leaves are oval, shiny, and dark green. A species planted yearly in many northern gardens grows up to 11/2 feet (46 centimeters) high and has spikes of blue flowers. A shrubby species called cape leadwort grows in southern California and the Gulf States. It forms bushes or vines and is covered by blue or white flowers for much of the year. In northern states, the cape leadwort grows only in greenhouses.
