Japanese name: ルリマツリ（瑠璃茉莉） Scientific name:Plumbago auriculata
[Overview]
An evergreen shrub that reaches about 6 m tall in its native range.
The stems branch well, are slender and somewhat vine-like, and often climb by leaning on other plants.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong to spatulate, about 5 cm long, with a glossy surface.
The leaf margins are entire.
There are kidney-shaped stipules.
A short spike at the stem tip bears sky-blue or white flowers 4 cm long and 2.5 cm across.
The corolla is salverform with the tip divided into 5 lobes, and the corolla tube is narrowly funnel-shaped.
The fruit is an oblong capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or from cuttings.
The suitable temperature for sowing is 18–24°C, and for cuttings and division it is 20°C or higher.
In warm regions it is planted outdoors and flowers almost all year round.
It prefers fertile soil that is sunny and well drained.
It prefers acidic soil.
If the site is poorly lit, flowering is poor.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Apply slow-release fertilizer from spring to autumn.
Scale insects may appear when the branches become crowded and ventilation is poor, so prune as appropriate.
