Plectranthusis a genus of about 350 specie of annuals , evergreen plant perennials , semi - succulent , and shrub fromAfrica , Madagascar , Asia , Australasia , and the Pacific Islands . They are utile in a cool nursery or alfresco in hanging baskets , container , or cheery borders . The leaf is often ornamental , with decorative margins and a fuzzy visual aspect . bloom are pocket-sized but unremarkably borne in well - size raceme of tubelike 2 - lipped heyday in shade of purple , pinkish , lily-white , or puritanic .
Plectranthusare easily school and require small spare tending or exceptional treatment . They enjoy well - compostedsoiland thrive in semi - subtlety . These plants are ideally suited to grow under the shade of trees . They are generally shallow - settle and enjoy adequate water but shop water in their stems and resist lengthened periods of drouth . Plectranthusare often grown for their attractive leafage , heyday , or both and vary in their growth forms from slow prostrate earth covers to subshrubs and large shrubs .
Although they are rime tender , Plectranthusare usually grown in shady , protect piazza and , as such , are afford some auspices from hoar . Frost does not sham flowering because they all flower at the end of the maturate season . Once the plant life have been established for a year or more , they become woodsy at the base and are more resistant to frost damage .
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Most shrubby coinage make better , denser , and more attractive shrubs if they are pruned back to between 1/3 and 1/4 of their height at the end of winter before the raw outgrowth begins for summertime . After pruning , it is an ideal prison term for decorate the territory with a duncish layer of compost or organic mulch and applying balanced fertilizer such as 2:3:2 . Ground cover species rarely ask to be pruned , other than the occasional cleanup up of sometime - growth and heyday spikes .
The ground blanket species often have beautiful foliage and form dense , attractive carpet , from 6 to 18 inches ( 15 to 45 cm ) thick-skulled , which burst into bloom in fall . These plants root pronto at the node wherever they touch the solid ground and will form slow gym mat comparatively rapidly .
Shrubby mintage alter in pinnacle from 20 inches to 6.67 feet ( 0.5 to 2 m ) and can be planted nut - masse or as exclusive individuals . Once again , most species enjoy the tad , but few can endure the full Sunday .
Plectranthusare exceptionally comfortable to pass around and grow with fiddling special discussion . Most propagation is done from cutting during the other summer and spring . Although the cuttings will root at any clock time of the year , they have a tenacious summertime ahead to establish if they are propagated at this time . Cuttings may take the form of deal or semi - hardwood , but backsheesh cuttings are usually the safe .
The press clipping should have at least two knob , and the leave of absence should be removed from the lower portion . Rooting internal secretion is usually unnecessary and has been known to cause the cuttings to rot . The cutting should be insert one - third of their length into clean double - wash out river sand , stay fresh in a fond shadowy billet , and not be provide to dry out out .
Source : pza.sanbi.org
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