Plectrantus: home care and main types

Plectrantus is an unpretentious plant first discovered in South Africa. Later it spread to many countries and acquired new names. For example, in the Scandinavian countries it is called Swedish ivy, and in Russia - room mint.

Main types

Plectrantus is annual or perennial. It is an ampelous plant characterized by drooping branches. Therefore, it must be planted in hanging pots. Non-ampelous plants are also found, but their distribution is not so wide. Types of plectrantus differ not only in leaves, but also in inflorescences. In some plants, they are completely unattractive, while others are in demand only because of their unusual flowering.

Plectrantus

Room mint leaves differ in texture and shape, have different edges and colors. For example:

• Plectranthus southern grows horizontally, its leaves are green and covered with wax. Therefore, they are dense and smooth;
• Forster also grows horizontally. The plant is used to decorate loggias and balconies. Its leaves are ovoid and have a pronounced relief. White stripes along the edges contrast with the green color.
• The leaves of plectrantus oakleaf are covered with pile, so they are fluffy. If you touch them, a coniferous aroma appears. Their shape is identical to oak leaves, which is reflected in the name;
• Plectrantus variegated differs in heart-shaped leaves. They are colored green and have a white border around the edges.

Plectrantus Ertendahl

Ertendal's plectrantus, or bristle flower, is a perennial shrub, the height of which does not exceed 20 centimeters. Its leaves are ovoid, even almost round, green. They have a bright pattern along the veins of a silvery hue. On the reverse side, the color of the leaves is red, they are rough to the touch.

Plectrantus Ertendahl

Inflorescences are formed at the top of the plectrantus. They reach a length of up to 30 centimeters. Consist of several large white flowers. The plant reacts to light by changing the shade of the leaves. Redness on the reverse side with an excess of sun goes to the front. This look requires constant pinching to create bushiness.

Felt plectrantus

Plectranthus felt, or hadienzis, differs in that its light green leaves are covered with short fluff. The color is usually monochromatic, but variegated plants are also found. At the same time, there are different shades, they can be yellow, mint and dark green.

Hadienzis is common in India, where it is used as one of the ingredients in cooking. At home, the plant looks compact, branches covered with small leaves hang from the pot. Under natural conditions, plectranthus can reach 70 centimeters in height. This is one of the most light-loving representatives of roommint. During flowering, beautiful blue flowers appear.

Plectrantus Mona Lavender

The stems of the Mona Lavender plectrantus are long, firm, covered with down. Their color is brown-brown. The leaves of the plant are glossy, dense, the surface is jagged. On the other hand, a purple pile is visible.

Plectrantus Mona Lavender

Peduncles are formed at the top of the stem, leaves do not grow on them. They are also lightly covered with fluff. The flowers themselves resemble elongated bells and can be of different colors.In nature, there are white, lilac, purple, lavender shades. Due to its attractiveness during flowering, this species has gained the most popularity among plant lovers. It is also attracted by the length of this colorful period. With proper care, the plant can delight with a bright look from February to November.

Home care

When purchasing a plectrantus, home care should be calculated on the fact that the plant comes from a subtropical climate. It is characterized by long daylight hours, warmth and high humidity.

Watering

The plant requires abundant watering, especially during the growing period. Spraying is also encouraged as a way to create humid conditions. This is especially true in the hot season, when the room temperature is above 22 degrees.

Sometimes a warm shower is arranged for the plant, after covering the pot with a film so that the liquid does not get into the ground. The procedure will help get rid of the dust accumulating on the leaves.

In case of insufficient air humidity, pebbles or expanded clay can be used. To do this, the drainage material is immersed in water, poured into a container, on which a flower pot is placed.

In winter, the flower hardly grows, so the frequency of watering is reduced. Enough once every 4 days. At this time, on the contrary, excessive waterlogging is dangerous, which can lead to stagnation of water and decay of the root system.

The soil

The soil for growing plectrantus should not be too dense. You can purchase a ready-made mixture or make it yourself. For this you will need:

• humus - 2 parts;
• turf - 2 parts;
• sheet land - 1 part;
• sand (river) - ½ part;
• peat - ½ part.

Top dressing

You need to feed the plant with fertilizers from early spring to late summer. They must be entered once every month. For this, fertilizers are used intended for flowering representatives of the flora. You can alternate between organic and mineral products.

Temperature

Mint plectrantus exists comfortably at an average temperature, that is, at 20-22 degrees. It does not bloom in winter, there is no active growth, so it needs cooler conditions.

Lighting

Indoor mint loves bright, but diffused sunlight, bad for direct rays. Ideally place the flower pot on a southwest-facing windowsill.

Plectrantus with sufficient lighting

With a lack of sun, it is necessary to provide additional lighting artificially, otherwise the color of the leaves will become dull, which will affect the attractiveness of the plant.

Plant transplant

The transplant is carried out once a year, in the spring, until the plant reaches five years of age. Then the procedure is performed if necessary, it depends on the growth rate of the flower.

After purchase, mint plectrantus can be transplanted immediately. To do this, you need to purchase a pot that is several centimeters larger in diameter than the previous one. The day before the procedure, the plant is watered abundantly so as not to damage the roots when removed from the container. The earth lump is not destroyed, it is immediately transplanted into a new pot, filling the empty places with prepared soil. It is recommended to put drainage on the bottom to exclude the possibility of root rot.

Reproduction methods

It is not difficult to propagate homemade plectrantus mint, the main thing is to follow the sequence of actions and do everything carefully so as not to damage the plant.

Cuttings

In winter or spring, the plant is pruned. This is necessary to create the shape of the plant, get rid of weak stems, remove old leaves. At this time, shoots can be prepared for transplantation.

The sequence of actions for propagation by cuttings:

• Shoots are harvested, on which there are at least three buds;
• Drainage and prepared soil are poured into the pots. It is necessary to disinfect and moisten it in advance;
• The cuttings are placed in the soil, making small holes with a pencil. You can plant several shoots in one pot, then the bush will turn out to be more lush;
• Young plants are watered as the topsoil dries up.

Rooting in water

After 1 to 2 weeks, the plant usually has roots. This is evidenced by new leaves growing on the stem. You can also root cuttings in water or sand.

By dividing the bush

Reproduction by dividing the bush is carried out during plant transplantation. After the flower is taken out of the pot, the roots are gently shaken off and cut with a sharp knife. It is important to disinfect it in advance in order to prevent infection of the plant.

Places of cuts are processed:

• ash;
• activated carbon powder.

New plants are placed in a pot and covered with soil. Moisten the soil before planting.

Useful properties of the plant

Fragrant Plectranthus (Plectranthus amboinicus) emits a pleasant smell when you touch its leaves. It is widely used in folk medicine. Tea is brewed from the leaves, which is capable of:

• relieve the patient from the fever;
• normalize bowel function.

The plant is considered anti-inflammatory and analgesic, it has diaphoretic and choleretic effects, and also has a laxative effect. In addition, it is used for the manufacture of expectorant drugs. Chewing the leaves of the plant will improve your health by relieving nasal congestion and coughing. The flower is also believed to help fight asthma attacks.

Tea from the leaves of room mint will be useful for impressionable people suffering from nervous strain. It can help with insomnia as it has a calming effect.

Also, aromatic plectrantus is used to combat skin diseases. It relieves itching caused by insect bites. To do this, you need to crush a leaf and attach it to the disturbing place. Helps to cope with skin rashes, allergic reactions.

To combat enuresis, medicinal baths with flower leaves are prepared. The salvage solution recipe is pretty simple. To create it, half a tablespoon of crushed raw materials is poured with a liter of boiling water. The solution is infused for two hours, then, after straining, it is poured into a warm bath. You need to lie in such water for about 15 minutes.

Plectrantus fragrant

Plectrantus in Russia is often called a fly-eater, as it is able to cleanse the room of annoying insects. The essential oils of molar tree can scare away an unpleasant inhabitant of apartments after a single touch. This is the name of the shrub plectrantus, this is a plant with heart-shaped leaves and a uniform green color. He has practically no rest period. In summer, the molar tree grows actively, from mid-winter to spring it blooms.This is one of the longest flowering periods among all Plectranthus species.

Plectrantus, whose home care is designed to repeat the climate of the subtropics, looks spectacular in hanging pots. Some species are distinguished not only by attractive leaves, but also by abundant flowering. In addition, the plant has medicinal properties and is famous for its widespread use in folk medicine. Plectrantus is used not only for the treatment of diseases, in the cuisines of some countries it is added to soups and drinks. In Indonesia, it is used as a preservative for meat and fish.