Woody > Plectranthus > Plectranthus glabratus > Plectranthus glabratus 'Marginatus'
Plectranthus glabratus
'Marginatus'
White-Edge Swedish Ivy
Origin: This species of Plectranthus comes from South India to South Indo-China, although has gone extinct in Sri Lanka.
Mike's
Opinion
"
I was recently given a Plectranthus glabratus “Marginatus' this summer (2023). It quickly became a favourite of my indoor plant collection; the main reasons being the stunning colouring of the leaves and hanging shoots, which funnily enough because they like to climb or ‘creep’ are sometimes called creeping Charlie. Another thing to love about Swedish ivy is the softness of the leaves, a texture created by the fine short hairs covering them. There is also a pleasant, almost spicy citrus and minty smell, which makes sense as it is also referred to as Tropical Mint. The scent is easily released when leaves are brushed against or rubbed between my fingers. I enjoy the scent and colouring so much so that I keep one in my bedroom, work space, and during the warmer months as a centrepiece on my table outdoors, where I spend a fair amount of my time. The Swedish ivy is also quick to produce shoots when I have it in ideal conditions, and is easy to propagate; which is wonderful because it means I can grow more for my front garden next spring. Personally, it has all the best features I enjoy most in a house plant. I am ecstatic to continue learning more about potential medicinal properties of this plant.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Lamiaceae |
| Genus |
| Plectranthus |
| Species |
| glabratus |
| Cultivar |
| 'Marginatus' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10a |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Grow under glass |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H3 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 30 - 35 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 1.1 - 1.7 |
| Height |
| 15 - 30 cm |
| Spread |
| 60 - 90 cm |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| The flowers, fuzzy texture of the leaves, and fragrance are just bonuses to this beautiful semi-succulent shrub. The stunning colouring of Plectranthus glabratus stands out, with the green leaves that can vary, compounded with the white along the margins, with some purple occasionally showing among the leaves. |
| Landscape |
| Though this plant has very lovely flowers when it blooms, it is not typically the reason it is planted. It is grown primarily for the foliage, and is good for dense ground coverage or as a hanging plant. It has drought resistance, humidity resistance, and typically is pest and disease free. Swedish ivy is also great at naturalizing, the flowers attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. It is lovely as a house plant or can also be suitable as an annual within an outdoor garden. |
| Cultivation |
| Cultivation is fairly easy and requires no extraordinary treatment. Plectranthus enjoys well-composed soils and can thrive in soils with a pH of 6.1, and it is somewhat pollution tolerant. Ideally planted in the shade of trees, as it prefers semi shade. Generally shallow roots that enjoy sufficient watering, although it does store water within the stem to make it resistant to prolonged droughts. It is considered frost tender but due to it growing in shady protected areas, it is provided some protection from frost. Once a plant has been established for a year or more it will become woodier at the base, making it more resistant to frost. Because flowers do not bloom until closer to the end of the growing season, frost does not affect them. |
| Shape |
| This shrub starts out fairly rounded and bushy, however as the plant grows and matures the shoots or vines create more of an irregular shape. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Fuzzy green leaves and white edging. Scent is fairly fragrant, almost minty. Grows fairly bushy with vines and can produce flowers. |
| Pests |
| Pests are not typically a problem for Swedish ivy, although whiteflies, aphids, and red spider mites can appear during the summer months. Swedish ivy is susceptible to fungal diseases like leaf spot, stem rot, and root rot. These could result in loss of the plant, but are able to be treated or avoided. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Thick velvety stem with a purple and green colour to it. The plant tends to remain the same in appearance all year round with stems that can store water. Sparsely downy with both long and short hairs and branches up to 60 cm long. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Plump rounded buds, greenish in colour and about 0.2 cm in size. |
| Leaf Description |
| Scalloped glossy leaves approximately 0.5 cm length x 0.8 cm width as they start. Once leaves are mature they are approximately 5.5 cm length x 4 cm width. Ovate, down or hairy, lower surface glandular, green with irregular creamy white colouring around the margins. Venation is acurate, petiole 3.5 cm. Before leaves mature they can start out reversed in colour, where it will have more green around the margins and white in the middle, appearing even glossier. |
| Flower Description |
| Small white or pink showy spur shaped flowers (hence another nickname Spur Flower). Consists of 5 petals and blooms approximately 2.5 cm in size, attracting butterflies and bees. Only blooms in fall or in late summer. |
| Fruit Description |
| Produces nutlets 0.7-1 mm in size, dark brown colouring, shiny, almost spherical. |
| Colour Description |
| The thick stem is green and purple in appearance, although closer to the base would be more woody or brown. The leaves are green with white edges, and at times some purple will be among leaf edges. The green on the leaves can vary as well, some even become only a few shades of green as opposed to with the white edging, while creating almost a stained glass effect of greens. The flowers produced can be either white or a soft light pink. |
| Texture Description |
| The leaves themselves are fleshy, while the surface is slightly fuzzy and soft in texture. The stem also has a fuzzy and soft feeling but is much more dense. It remains the same throughout the year as it is typically an annual. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The only places to view this stunning plant is either in its natural habitats, for example parts of South India, within some garden shops, or a home garden (indoor and outdoor). |
| Propagation |
| For the seeds you will need to start them indoors, approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the last frost of the spring. Once you are ready, plant your seeds shallow in the soil (approximately 0.3-0.6 cm deep), keeping the soil moist and warm at roughly room temperature (21 to 24C). Must provide light for a minimum of 8 to 16 hours a day, with at least 8 hours of dark. The seedlings should then start to emerge after 7 to 14 days and once they have emerged can be repotted 6 to 8 weeks later. Additionally the Plectranthus glabratus can be easily propagated through stem cuttings. You can take cuttings from healthy steams 7-10 cm, then remove the lower leaves, and place cuttings in a glass of water or damp potting mix. Roots will then start to form in a matter of weeks and will then be able to transplant into a bigger pot if need be (Nelson, 2023). It is also recommended not to use any growth hormones on cuttings as it has been seen to typically cause root rot |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Typically eaten or used as a spice, although toxic to some house pets like cats or dogs. Studies are still taking place because it is a widespread genus with 300 plus species with a diversity of ethnobotanical potentials, making it difficult to correctly identify and gather data. Although it is thought that it could aid with problems from digestive conditions, Skin conditions, respiratory conditions, infections, and fever genito-urinary conditions depending on each species. It is known that Plectranthus barbatus has naturally occurring labdane diterpenoid and forskolin, which could help us understand the traditional uses of this species. Plectranthus is mostly known in some South African traditional medicines, typically eaten like a spice and used as an inflammatory for pains like toothaches, headaches, menstrual pain and so forth; all of which is important to combat, as inflammation can be comorbid with other ailments, some truly grave. |
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