Perennials, Woody > Plumbago > Plumbago zeylanica > Plumbago zeylanica
Plumbago zeylanica
Leadwort, Chitrak, Plumbago, White leadwort
Origin: India and Malaysia. Widely naturalized in many areas of the Tropics, especially Africa and southeast Asia.
| Family |
| Plumbaginaceae |
| Genus |
| Plumbago |
| Species |
| zeylanica |
| Category |
| Perennials, Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H2 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 2 - 4 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 35 - 40 |
| Height |
| 1.5 - 2.5 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| An evergreen perennial plant sometimes with more persistent, semi-woody stems. The stems, which are 1 - 2 metres long, have a somewhat lax habit and sometimes adopt a climbing habit. |
| Cultivation |
| Grow in a position in full sun or partial shade in a slightly acidic soil. |
| Shape |
| A climbing habit. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Plants can flower throughout the year. |
| Habitat |
| Almost exclusively found in rather open, human-created habitats such as savannah, forest edges and fallow fields, at elevations up to 1,000 metres. |
| Leaf Description |
| Dark green leaves are ovate to 10 cm long by half as wide. |
| Flower Description |
| White in showy dense racemes and will flower all year long. Individual flowers are up 1 cm across. |
| Fruit Description |
| A small cocklebur with glue on the soft spines that will stick to anything. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. |
| Propagation |
| By seed or stem cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The plant is commonly used medicinally - especially in India and Africa where it is a very popular treatment for skin problems. Chitrak is used in treating intestinal troubles, dysentery, leucoderma, inflammation, piles, bronchitis, itching, diseases of the liver, and consumption. The leaves of this herb work well for treating laryngitis, rheumatism, diseases of the spleen, ring worm, scabies, and it acts as an aphrodisiac. A tincture of the root bark is used as an anti-periodic. Chitrak root helps improve digestion and it stimulates the appetite. Chitrak root is also an acro-narcotic poison that can cause an abortion. |
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