Name: Plumbago auriculata 'Ocean Blue' (Ocean Blue Plumbago)

Average Landscape Size: 2–3 ft tall × 3–4 ft wide; can reach 6 ft if left unpruned; mounding, spreading habit

Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade; more blooms in full sun

Water Needs: Low to moderate once established; drought tolerant but blooms better with regular water

Deer Resistance: High

Cold Hardiness: USDA Zones 8b–11; dies back in Willis winters but returns from roots in spring

Fertilization & Pruning: General-purpose fertilizer in spring; cut back to 6 inches in late winter before new growth

Detailed Description: Here's your new favorite heat-loving perennial that absolutely thrives in our Texas summers! Ocean Blue Plumbago is a butterfly magnet extraordinaire with those gorgeous sky-blue flowers blooming from spring until the first frost. Most folks keep these beauties at 2–3 feet, but they can spread to 6 feet if you let them go wild! What makes this plant incredible for Willis gardens is its drought tolerance once established – perfect for our hot summers. Even though it dies back in winter, it bounces right back from the roots each spring, getting bigger and more spectacular every year. This is the plant that keeps giving you color when everything else is struggling in the heat!