Growth Requirements
General
ʻIlieʻe is a great native alternative to alien plants like wedelia when used as a groundcover or low-lying hedge along borders; for these applications, space the plants 1 to 3 feet apart. It can also help stabilize the soil in high erosion areas. Lastly, ʻilieʻe can be kept as a container plant, either on the ground or in a hanging basket, indoors under lights or outdoors. ʻIlieʻe can sometimes become a minor nuisance in high-traffic areas because its sticky fruits will adhere to clothing, skin, or a pet's fur.
Plumbago zeylanica grows well in a site with full sunlight for all or most of the day or in partial shaded areas; plants grown in very shady sites tend to produce fewer flowers and are prone to infections of powdery mildew. The species is drought tolerant, and, therefore, requires little to no watering once established. However, regular watering will produce more flowering and denser foliage, and thus, better ground cover and weed control. ʻIlieʻe can tolerate extreme temperatures and strong winds, and will grow in just about any type of soil (although growing it in pure sand might be a stretch) provided the soil drains reasonably well. Similarly, use an easy-draining media mix for ʻIlieʻe in a container.
ʻIlieʻe propagated from seed and those rooted from cuttings (which is very easy to do) grow quickly and will start flowering almost immediately if grown from a cutting or within a few months if grown from seed. Left alone, a single ‘ilie‘e can spread out to cover a large area (i.e., several square yards) in one to two years, and, sometimes but not always, will naturally root itself to the ground as it grows outward. As a groundcover, ‘ilie‘e does a pretty good job of suppressing weeds provided you don't let it dry out and go leafless.
Generally, in-the-ground ʻilieʻe does not need to be fertilized but may benefit from biannual applications of a balanced controlled-release fertilizer containing minor elements or an occasional foliar feeding. To increase flower production, we recommend using a 15-30-15;NPK fertilizer.
ʻIlieʻe can be heavy pruning to keep it confined to a designated area and encourage branching. However, hand-pruning is best since a power-trimmer can sometimes entangle the long branches and cause unwanted plant damage.
Pests and Diseases
Infrequently, ants will import, farm, and protect sap-sucking insects such as aphids and mealybugs on ʻilieʻe. Perhaps, the best way to avoid repeated infestations is to eliminate or control the ants first, and then attempt to eliminate the sap-suckers. Snails and slugs (usually in wetter sites), and Chinese rose beetles occasionally eat ʻilieʻe leaves and stem-tips. In drier areas with little ventilation, mite infestations can become a problem. For all the above pests, please refer to the Pests & Diseases page for treatments.
