Can anyone identify this blue flower?

[GigglesMom]

When I bought my house, there was this blue flower growing in partial shade, dry soil... it's behaved like a perennial, but in this part of Texas, a lot of plants that are annuals survive the winter. The flowers have four petals, pale blue, and it grows as sort of a ground hugging vine (but very slow-growing, maybe because of the shade/dry soil, or that it grows beneath an oleandar?)

Unfortunately, my well-meaning brother didn't notice it there because it wasn't in flower and raked it up while getting ready for Halloween trick-or-treaters! I don't know if he got the root or not, but if I can identify it, I'd like to plant some more... it's a charming little plant and looks great growing over the landscaping rocks...

I've done countless web-searches, browsed most of the Lady Bird Johnson flower database... and come up short...

I would be eternally greatful if someone could give me a clue:

Kind regards, GigglesMom

[Celeste Evans]

[David E. Ross]

Try cape plumbago (P. auriculata, sometimes called P. capensis). This may be evergreen or deciduous, depending on how much frost you get in the winter. It's hardy to about 15F. At that temperature, it will show some damage but will recover quickly in the spring.

It's actually a shrub, not a perennial. However, if tied to a support, it can grow like a vine.

It will do best with at least some sun but will tolerate partial shad. It will take regular watering but is somewhat drought tolerant.

There are several varieties, each with a slightly different shade of blue, from almost white to sky blue. Sunset recommends buying plants in bloom so that you can see what color you're getting.

[Charles]

The pictures I find of plumbago have five petals, the flowers in the OP's shot had four. Is there some variation, or am I missing something?

[GigglesMom]

Are there four petal variants of Plumbago? I had looked at that, but discarded it because of the petal difference, thought the foliage is about as close as I've found...

Thanks, GigglesMom

[none]

[David E. Ross]

My reference is Sunset's "Western Garden Book". Unfortunately, the drawing is not sufficiently distinct to tell whether the flowers have 4 or 5 petals.

[GigglesMom]

Sigh, I would love to unfurl the flowers, if only there any left to unfurl... as you see in my original message... my beloved brother has torn it up (in addition to pruning my oleandar to the shape of a big round ball, as though it was a boxwood... yuck!)... I'm hoping there is enough root left there for it to grow back in the spring... I agree, except for the four petals, it does look like (a rather stunted) plumbago in every other way...

I'll keep check this thread, and keep looking... I might print out the photos and take them to the extension agent...

Thanks to anyone who has made suggestions...

GigglesMom

[GHillside]

It looks like a phlox to me. although not a Phlox divaricata, maybe Phlox stolonifera -- Creeping Phlox. but these also appear to be 5- petaled. Although not sure it can grow in Texas. A perennial.

[GigglesMom]

Thanks GHillside,

But I'm reasonably sure it's not a phlox, even though the flowers are

*very* similar... the leaves on my flower were whirled, and phlox has opposite leaves. The leaves really do look very close to a Plumbago, and I'm beginning to think that maybe I just have (sigh, I mean *had*) a mutant plumbago.

If it grows back, I'm going to take a cutting to a county extension agent I think...

GM

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