Doctorbush

Plumbago zeylanica

Native to:
Angola, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Christmas I., Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Galápagos, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jawa, Kenya, Laos, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Marianas, Marquesas, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Navassa Island, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Guinea, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Is., Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Somalia, South Africa, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Tubuai Is., Turks-Caicos Is., Uganda, United States, Ven

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Plumbaginaceae
Genus:
Plumbago
Species:
Plumbago zeylanica
USDA Symbol:
PLSC4

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Shrub , Subshrub , Vine
Height:
200 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jan,feb,mar,apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov,dec
Bloom Colors:
white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Caterpillars:
★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies
Deer Resistant:
Yes
Salt Tolerant:
Yes
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts vigorously from roots after fire or cutting. Common in disturbed and fire-prone tropical habitats.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
None required
Germination Time:
14–30 days
Notes:
Seeds germinate readily in warm conditions without pretreatment. Fresh seed has higher viability.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI