Plectranthus verticillatus

Plectranthus verticillatus (syn. Plectranthus nummularius[2]), Swedish ivy, Swedish begonia or whorled plectranthus[3] is a plant in the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae), genus Plectranthus. Despite its common name, it is not close to the ivy family of the genus Hedera.

Plectranthus verticillatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Plectranthus
Species:
P. verticillatus
Binomial name
Plectranthus verticillatus
Synonyms[1]

Plectranthus nummularius Briq.

Description

The plant has aromatic glossy, green, round leaves, which show a deep purple color in the center sometimes and tend to trail, reaching a height of between 10 and 30 cm and extends around 60 cm. This deep purple can also be found on the plant stems and on the underside of leaves. The leaves, which are widely serrated, are fleshy and rounded between 64 and 90 mm, with purple and hairy undersides with reddish sessile glands.

The upright racemes appear white, pale violet or pale pink and can sprout sporadically throughout the year (but more typically in spring and late autumn), which form verticillasters of 2-4 flowers and 2–3 mm bracts. The fruits are 1 mm nuts, brown in colour and wrinkled.[4][5]

The name "Swedish ivy" is deceptive: the plant is not thigmotropic (meaning it does not cling to walls with the roots when it grows), is not native to Sweden, and is not closely related to the genus of ivy (Hedera). Some variegated, silvery plants called Swedish Ivy grown in pots and hanging baskets are Plectranthus oertendahlii from coastal river gorges of KwaZulu-Natal.[6]

Distribution

Plectranthus verticillatus is native to southern Africa where it occurs in the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, the Northern Provinces and southern Mozambique.[7] It is found naturalized in El Salvador, Honduras, the Leeward Islands, the Venezuela Antilles, the Windward Islands, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Hawaii as well as south-east Queensland and coastal areas of New South Wales in Australia.[3][7][8]

Use as ornamental plant

Plectranthus verticillatus is a robust plant doing well in indirect sunlight, mostly cultivated as hanging houseplant. In frost-free areas, it is also found as groundcover in gardens or sprouting down walls.[9][10]

It likes to stay moist and it also responds well to pruning. It can easily be rooted with cuttings and its vulnerability is low; but a weak plant can be infested with spider mites.[11]

  • In cultivation, El Crucero, Managua, Nicaragua
  • In a ceramic pot, grown from a cutting
  • Foliage
  • Botanical illustration
  • Flowers and leaves

References
  1. "Plectranthus nummularius Briq". African flowering plants database. Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques Ville de Geneve. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  2. cf. theplantlist.org: Plectranthus verticillatus (L.f.) Druce. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  3. "Swedish ivy Plectranthus verticillatus". Weeds of Australia. University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  4. cf. Description and picture at PlantZAfrica.com: Plectranthus verticillatus (L.f.) Druce. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  5. "Plectranthus verticillatus | Money Plant, Gossip | PLANTBOOK". PLANTBOOK. 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
  6. "Plectranthus verticillatus | PlantZAfrica.com". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
  7. cf. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Plectranthus verticillatus_id=158574. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  8. Conn, B.J. "Plectranthus verticillatus (L.f.) Druce". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  9. "Swedish Ivy Plant Care - Plectranthus species". Retrieved 2017-07-20.
  10. "Plectranthus verticillatus - Planting, growing and propagating information from iGarden". www.igarden.com.au. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
  11. "Plectranthus australis". www.mobot.org. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
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