The Native Plumbago, Plumbago zeylanica, is flowering in the Dry Rainforest section of the park after being hit hard this winter. This delightful little plant is very similar to the plumbago we grow in our gardens, the introduced Plumbago auriculata. Like many exotic species the South African plumbago can become a nuisance with its the spreading suckers.
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| Plumbago zeylanica |
The Australian plumbago has a lower, less invasive growing habit. In the wild it will grow in dappled to fairly heavy shade, so is good for a ground cover around shrubs and trees in your garden.
For those who like to attract butterflies to their garden the Native Plumbago has other advantages. It is a host plant for our little Plumbago Blue Butterfly. The flowers are the food for the larvae (caterpillars), and many butterflies are attracted to their nectar.
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| Plumbago Blue Butterfly, Leptotes plinius |
The caterpillars of the Plumbago Blue are very cryptic and difficult to find, but the butterflies are usually fluttering around any plumbago plant. The male butterfly has a bluish sheen which is usually only seen when flying. The female has a slight wash of blue but more distinctive brown and white markings which may be the cause for their other name, Zebra Blue. The beauty of this butterfly is their underwings, as you can see by the picture taken in a Toowoomba garden. (Remember to right click on the image if you want to see an enlargement in a separate tab.)
If you want to know more about either the plant or the butterfly, please click on either of these links:
