![]() ![]() ![]() PropagationĪs the Oval Office story suggests, P. Perry, to keep the indoor temperature from plunging as low as 50☏, as this can kill the warmth-loving plant. Leonard Perry, horticulture professor emeritus at the University of Vermont, this houseplant prefers temperatures between 70 and 75☏ during the active growing season in the spring and summer months.įor the rest of the year, indoor temperatures between 60 and 65☏ are sufficient. It thrives as a houseplant in all zones as long as it receives bright, indirect sunlight for most of the day.Īccording to Dr. ![]() It’s suited to Zones 10 and 11 for year-round growing outdoors and it has become naturalized in Australia, Central and South America, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii as a plant that adapts easily to warm climates. Some gardeners also refer to these plants as creeping Charlie, not to be confused with Glechoma hederacea, aka ground ivy. In addition to not having roots in Scandinavia, Swedish ivy is also not a true ivy, or part of the ivy family, Araliaceae, and it doesn’t cling to surfaces as it grows. Swedish botanist Vivi Laurent-Tackholm is often credited with introducing several types of Plectranthus to houseplant enthusiasts there during World War II, while others claim Swedish ivy has been in cultivation in Sweden for over 100 years and has been known by this name for nearly as long, perhaps originally brought there by members of the Hermannsburg Missionary Society, or a Swedish surveyor working in Uvongo, a seaside resort in South Africa. verticillatus was given this seemingly confusing common name because it first became popular as a houseplant in Sweden. ![]() The plant is not native to Sweden but to southern Africa, from Mozambique down through South Africa. Its common name, Swedish ivy, is quite the misnomer. Though it’s most often grown as a houseplant in the United States, it can stay outside year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, according to the experts at the Missouri Botanical Garden. This name references a spur that is often found at the base of the flowers, though many sources describe the flowers as a whole as being spur-shaped.Ī pet-safe, nontoxic plant, Swedish ivy grows two to three feet tall and wide and produces eight-inch spikes of delicate, pale purple flowers in the fall if moved outdoors for the summer. The genus name, Plectranthus, comes from the Greek word “plectron,” which means “spur,” and “anthos,” meaning “flower.” australis, but according to the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society, this is a misapplied synonym. Other closely related species also referred to commonly as Swedish ivy may have purple leaves, or green foliage with white margins. These are broad-ovate, glossy green, and serrated around the edges, and they release a pungent scent when touched. Its leaves are small, generally growing one to one and a half inches across. verticillatus is an evergreen perennial in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with a lovely, drooping growth habit that makes it ideal for hanging baskets. They share similar care requirements, and you can find a selection of recommended varieties in the Species and Cultivars to Select section below. Though Plectranthus verticillatus is the most common species that you will see grown in the US as a houseplant, other species and hybrids may be referred to as Swedish ivies as well. ![]()
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