I often walk past a blue plumbago bush in the mornings. If I had a bigger property I’d find a place for one of these plants, because they do seem to bloom over a long period and are fairly unthirsty. It’s taken me years to be able to remember the name plumbago, or even to find out what the plant looked like. I must have pushed it away from my consciousness because the word is only one letter off from lumbago, which means lower back pain, and the sound of which reminds me of a problem that has plagued me for most of my life.
I didn’t ever notice until Tony mentioned it, that a truly blue flower is rare, because they are usually “blushed with purple.” Today I got up close and noticed that the petals are indeed veined with purple, and as I look now at the photos the whole flower is starting to appear lavender blue. Maybe that is because it’s being seen indoors, whereas this morning it was reflecting the blue sky?
I forgot to take a picture of the whole bush, so here is a different species I saw online:
From now on I will be looking closely at all the blue flowers I encounter!
Gladsome Lights 
I hope I can remember the name. I hope to stop at the extension office tomorrow after the first class of BSF for the year yeah!
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Now I am curious about the origin of the phrase “true blue.”
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We have a common wild flower called Chicory that has true blue flowers. As you say, that is somewhat hard to find. As you probably know, Chicory roots can be roasted, dried and ground to make a coffee substitute.
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I love plumbago and have at least three blue and one white one. I love any and all blue/lavender flowers in my gardens.
Enjoy your week dear Gretchen ~ FlowerLady
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Practically a staple in local landscapes. I haven’t planted one yet, but I know where it will go when I get to that place in our yard. I’ve noticed that the flowers tend to be sparse which is the only drawback. Maybe the ones I see just don’t get enough water.
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And blue is not a “common” flower. Plumbago, isn’t that just the most lovely name for this beauty of a flowering plant?
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I bet they are really pretty in person. I will have to keep my eyes open for them.
You have such nice walks.
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I have loved my Batchelor Buttons this year (are you supposed to capitalize flower names?) and they DO have a hint of purple. Sending love your way, dear GJ!
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I thought plumbago was a ground cover, not a bush. So now I learned there are different types! It’s pretty, yes.
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They are beautiful! Yes, blue flowers ARE rare- I wonder why that is!
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