Doctorbush
Plumbago zeylanica
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Evergreen shrub, sprawling to about 3’ high x 4’ wide. Plants usually green but foliage turns purple in winter. White flowers nearly year round,
Grow in full sun to shade, with moderate water, hardy to about 10° F.
Flowers are enjoyed by butterflies, hummingbirds, and many other insects. Larval food plant for the marine blue (Leptotes marina).
Wherever this plant is found in the world, it is used medicinally. Early folk medicine used the crushed plant internally and externally as an abortifacient. In Ayurveda, P. zeylanica is known as chitrak, meaning "the spotted one". It is used with other herbs to lessen its intense pungency.
Photo by Anthony Mendoza, SEINET
Plumbago zeylanica on iNaturalist
Formerly known as Plumbago scandens. There are 19 species native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. Plumbago is a Latin name derived from plumbum for lead, and ago, which is a common plant name indicating a resemblance, while zeylanica means of or from Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
Found in canyons, shaded hillsides, along roads, fences, and stone walls, from 2,500-4,000 ft. distributed globally throughout the tropics and subtropics of most continents. Found in the foodhills of our mountains in the southwestern US and Mexico.
The flowers are very glandular and sticky, photo by Felipe Campos, iNaturalist
The foliage turns purple with cold weather, photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET