Plectranthus: Species Chart, Photos, and Home Care

Plectranthus, Swedish ivy, spur plant, house mint, or moth tree—these are the names of this humble native of South Africa. It also refers to a genus of plants in the Lamiaceae family, which, according to various sources, comprises between 250 and 320 species: shrubs, subshrubs, and trailing plants.

Description

Plectranthus is a plant grown not for its flowers, but for its beautiful foliage. Trailing plectranthus looks especially beautiful in hanging pots.

The plant is characterized by long, flexible stems and beautifully carved leaves. Compact, it grows up to 80 cm. The serrated-edged leaves are arranged in pairs on a short petiole. They are uniform in shape and size, and their color is a soft green, sometimes patterned. They have a pleasant minty scent due to the oils they produce. This aroma repels moths.

It blooms in summer. The flowers are small, gathered in whorls. Their color ranges from white to various shades of blue.

Types of Plecranthus and their characteristics

Plectranthus species and varieties differ not only in their external features, but also in their aroma.

View	Characteristic
Coleus-like	variegated; large foliage (up to 6 cm); light edge and spots on leaves; named for its resemblance to coleus; pinkish-red hairy stems. The most common varieties: Marginatus. Peculiarity: white edges and spots; Green on green. The dark green leaf has a lemon-yellow edge.
Shrub	a branched bush up to 1 meter high; branches are pubescent; blooms profusely from February to May; The leaves are wrinkled and release essential oils when touched.
Ertendal	the leaves are purple-pink on top and green on the bottom; velvety with white veins emits a camphor smell; constant picking is required; a subshrub with creeping stems up to 40 cm. Popular varieties: Limelight. Golden foliage with sparse green spots; Uvongo. The center of the leaf is silvery, closer to the edge it is green. A very popular hybrid is the Mona Lavender variety. Its characteristics include: a bush with brown straight stems; the back side of the leaves is covered with purple fluff; Large (1.5 cm) purple flowers are collected in long inflorescences.
Oakleaf	dense fleshy stems; the shape of the leaves is similar to oak; pleasant pine aroma; covered with light silver pile.
Southern (Scandinavian, Swedish ivy; whorled, nummular)	almost no smell; leaves on long petioles, covered with a layer of wax; creeping shoots (ampelous type).
Felt (Hadiensis, Indian borage)	grown both indoors and in open ground; grows up to 80 cm; the leaves are light green, densely covered with hairs; In India it is used as a seasoning.
Forster	is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and accelerated growth; horizontal growth; shoots up to 1 m in length; relief leaves of green color with white spots along the edge, pubescent.
Whorled	stems are crimson; Green leaves are covered with white hairs, the reverse side with red veins.
Fragrant (aromatic)	a branched shrub up to 2 meters in height; has a strong minty smell; used in cooking; has medicinal properties.
Ernst	caudex type; small plant; dense, up to 10 cm in diameter; the leaves are velvety, the underside is purple-red; sheds leaves during dormancy.

Home care

Caring for a plectranthus at home doesn't require much time. The plant is easy to maintain.

Parameters	Spring-summer	Autumn-Winter
Temperature	+20…+22 °C	+15 °C
Location/Lighting	Bright but filtered light. South- and west-facing windows are ideal. Direct sunlight can be harmful to the plant.
Humidity/Spraying	It doesn't require much humidity. Misting is necessary if the pot is located near heating appliances.
Watering	Moderate. Only when the top 1-2 cm of the substrate has dried out. The water must be soft, settled, and warm.
Fertilizer (mineral and organic, alternately).	Once every 2 weeks.	One feeding per month (if not dormant).

Repotting: choosing a pot and soil

For indoor mint plectranthus to thrive, proper soil composition is essential. It should be highly fertile and slightly acidic. A good option is a mixture of equal parts soil, turf, sand, and humus. Annual repotting is required for the first three years of its life. After that, repot as needed, approximately every three years.

Repot in the spring. The pot needs to be spacious, as the rhizome is large and very developed (the diameter of the new container is 2-3 times larger than the previous one). Drainage should be one-third the height of the pot.

When replanting, do not compact the soil mixture; it should remain loose. Water thoroughly afterwards.

Reproduction

Propagation is by cuttings. To do this, they are placed in water or soil. It's important that the cuttings have several growth nodes. Some of the leaves at the bottom should be trimmed off.

Roots appear as early as the second week. When they reach 3-4 cm in length, they can be transplanted into individual pots.

Trimming

Plectranthus is characterized by rapid shoot growth, often leaving bare. To maintain its decorative appearance, the plant requires regular pruning. This is best done during repotting in the spring. During this period, branches are cut back to half their length. Throughout the year, shoot tips should be pinched. This promotes abundant branching.

Mistakes in caring for plecranthus, diseases and pests

External signs on leaves	Cause	Methods of elimination
Yellowing, falling off.	Root rot due to excess moisture.	Reduce watering.
Wilted, drooping stems.	Insufficient watering.	Increase the frequency of watering.
Smaller size, color change.	Excessive lighting.	Shade or rearrange.
Yellowing and shedding with moderate watering.	Low temperatures.	Rearrange
Twisted.	Aphid.	Treat with insecticides.
Sticky coating, wilting.	Mealybug.
Cobweb.	Spider mite.
Gray spots.	Powdery mildew as a result of overwatering.	Reduce watering, treat with a special preparation.

Top.tomathouse.com recommends: healthy plectranthus

In addition to pleasantly scenting a room, plectranthus has many other beneficial properties:

repels moths;
its aroma calms the nervous system;
used for medicinal purposes (relieves itching from insect bites, inflammation, has diuretic properties, treats coughs, helps with headaches);
tea brewed from plectranthus helps with infections and colds;
According to popular superstition, mint solves money problems.