Plectranthus

How to choose a plectranthus

The Mona Lavender Spur Flower is the plant that made the group popular. It is a bushy hybrid, around 60 centimetres high and wide, with glossy dark leaves that are purple underneath and upright spikes of lavender flowers. Flowering is triggered by shortening days, so the main show runs from autumn through the cooler months. The Velvet Elvis Spur Flower is a later selection in the same style, and the Pink Kisses Plectranthus offers a change of flower colour.

For covering ground, the Flora Mound Plectranthus is a form of Plectranthus ciliatus, a low, spreading species with purple backed leaves that knits together under trees. For baskets and the edges of pots, the Marginatus Variegated Swedish Ivy has soft, scented, green leaves edged in cream and a loose, trailing habit.

Where plectranthus works

Use plectranthus in dappled shade, part shade or bright shade: under established trees, along the shaded side of a fence, on a covered patio or in pots by a doorway. Morning sun is welcome, but hot afternoon sun bleaches and wilts the leaves. Most are frost tender. They are at their easiest in frost free subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and in cooler districts they need a sheltered position under eaves or tree cover, or a pot that can be moved for winter.

For other plants that suit these positions, see our plants for partial shade, plants for full shade and groundcover ranges.

Planting and spacing

Plectranthus are not fussy about soil as long as it drains. Mix in compost, plant at the level of the pot and water in. Space the upright spur flowers 40 to 50 centimetres apart for a massed drift or a low informal border. Space spreading groundcover forms 50 to 70 centimetres apart and they will close the gaps within a season or two in warm weather. Mulch between plants while they establish. In containers use a quality potting mix, and combine the trailing kinds with taller shade plants for a full pot.

Care basics

Water regularly while plants settle in. Once established they cope with short dry spells, particularly in shade, but they stay fuller with steady moisture. The stems are soft and a little brittle, so place them away from foot traffic and boisterous dogs.

Pruning is what keeps a plectranthus good looking. Pinch the tips of young plants to make them branch, and after flowering cut the upright kinds back by about a third to a half. They reshoot quickly. Trim groundcover forms at the edges whenever they wander. Feed in spring with a slow release fertiliser. After a few years plants can become woody at the base. Cuttings root so readily in water or potting mix that it is simple to replace them.

Common questions

When does Mona Lavender flower?

Mainly from autumn into winter and spring, as it responds to shorter days. In mild climates it can carry some flowers for many months.

Does plectranthus grow in full shade?

It grows in quite deep shade, though flowering is heavier in bright shade or with some morning sun.

Does plectranthus tolerate frost?

Not well. Frost burns the soft growth. In frosty areas plant under cover of trees or eaves, or grow it in pots, and cut back damaged growth in spring.

Can I grow plectranthus in pots?

Yes. The compact spur flowers and the trailing forms are both well suited to pots and hanging baskets in a shaded spot.