Plectranthus coleoides,P. purpuratus, andP. verticillatus
Do you require to grow one of the most famed houseplants in the public , often photographed pose on the marble mantle across the room from a certain important desk in a sure office of national significance ?
ThenPlectranthus verticillatus , otherwise cognise as Swedish common ivy or Swedish begonia , is the plant for you .
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And yes , there is – or at least there was , for a long time – one of these plants in the Oval Office .
Reportedly establish to John F. Kennedy in 1961 by the Irish embassador , the Swedish ivy and its materialisation have been know to halt a place in the White House ever since . The plant even has an unofficial Instagram page !
Former White House Pluto and houseman have been given clippings of the original plant to distribute over the year .
And while you may not be able-bodied to get your hand on an prescribed Oval Office Ivy clipping , you could grow your own Swedish Hedera helix at place .
And who knows ? Maybe you ’ll be able to pass it down from one generation to the next , much like the United States presidents have .
Ready to get started ? Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Swedish Ivy?
ThoughPlectranthus verticillatusis the most common species that you will see grown in the US as a houseplant , other metal money and loan-blend may be refer to as Swedish common ivy as well .
They deal interchangeable attention requirements , and you could find a selection of recommended varieties in the Species and Cultivars to Select section below .
P. verticillatusis an evergreen perennial in themint family , Lamiaceae , with a endearing , drooping growth wont that makes it idealistic for hang basket .
Its farewell are small , generally maturate one to one and a half inches across . These are broad - ovate , lustrous green , and serrate around the bound , and they release a pungent smell when touch on .
Other nearly pertain species also referred to commonly as Swedish ivy may have purple leaves , or green leafage with white gross profit margin .
You might see this plant labeledP. australis , but allot to the experts at theRoyal Horticultural Society , this is a misapplied equivalent word .
The genus name , Plectranthus , comes from the Grecian word “ plectron , ” which intend “ spur , ” and “ anthos , ” mean “ blossom . ”
This name cite a spur that is often found at the base of the blossom , though many sources name the flowers as a whole as being spur - forge .
A pet - secure , nonpoisonous plant life , Swedish English ivy turn two to three feet tall and panoptic and give rise eight - inch capitulum of ticklish , wan purple flowers in the fall if move out of doors for the summertime .
Though it ’s most often grown as a houseplant in the United States , it can stay external year - round in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11 , according to the expertsat the Missouri Botanical Garden .
Its coarse name , Swedish ivy , is quite the misnomer . The flora is not native to Sweden but to southerly Africa , from Mozambique down through South Africa .
Some gardener believeP. verticillatuswas give this seemingly confusing common name because it first became pop as a houseplant in Sweden .
Swedish plant scientist Vivi Laurent - Tackholm is often credit with innovate several types ofPlectranthusto houseplant partisan there during World War II , while others claim Swedish ivy has been in cultivation in Sweden for over 100 old age and has been known by this name for nearly as long , perhaps earlier brought there by members of the Hermannsburg Missionary Society , or a Swedish surveyor working in Uvongo , a seaside resort in South Africa .
In summation to not having stem in Scandinavia , Swedish ivy is also not a true ivy , or part of the ivy family , Araliaceae , and it does n’t cling to surfaces as it grows .
Some gardeners also name to these plants as creep Charlie , not to be confuse withGlechoma hederacea , aka ground ivy .
It ’s suit to Zones 10 and 11 for year - round growing outside and it has become naturalized in Australia , Central and South America , Puerto Rico , and Hawaii as a plant that adapts well to warm climates .
It prosper as a houseplant in all zones as long as it receives bright , collateral sunlight for most of the day .
Swedish ivy prefer temperature between 70 and 75 ° F during the combat-ready growing season in the spring and summertime month .
For the eternal rest of the year , indoor temperatures between 60 and 65 ° F are sufficient . It ’s important , allege Dr. Perry , to keep the indoor temperature from plunging as low as 50 ° degree Fahrenheit , as this can kill the warmth - love plant .
Propagation
As the Oval Office story suggest , P. verticillatusand several other exchangeable metal money in the genus are easy to diffuse .
The best manner to do so is by strike stem cutting , but Swedish ivy can also be grown from germ . And of course , you could always purchase a specimen from a local nursery or online .
Since buy new plant and propagating shank cuttings are the most coarse way of life of getting your hand on your very ownP. verticillatusor one of its close relatives , these are the two routes to Swedish Ivyland that we ’ll cover .
Via Stem Cuttings
If a friend of yours has a Swedish ivy they ’re willing to give you access to – or if you happen to work at the White House and have been allowed to take a cutting off from the famous plant in the Oval Office , though the panel ’s still out on whether or not it ’s still there – here ’s how to do it .
First , you’re able to take a cutting at any clock time during the year . The ideal meter is in the spring or summertime , during the plant ’s active growing season , but you should be able to settle down cuttings even in the eye of wintertime .
Prepare a decipherable credit card cup with holes perforate out of the bottom or a baby’s room pot with drain holes by filling it with pot mix before you get originate . Or , fill a cup with clean water .
Choose a vine with younger , smaller leaf , which designate recent growth , and take a five- to six - column inch cut . Use clean trimmer and cut at a 45 ° angle above a leaf lymph gland .
Remove the leaves from the bottom two inches of the cutting , but leave the rest of the foliation intact . you could souse the cut remainder in rooting hormone powder if you want , but Swedish ivy propagates so easily that this is n’t necessary .
Place the cutting in the take root spiritualist or in a container of water so it ’s submerged by about two inches .
Set the container on your kitchen board or countertop , in a positioning where it will receive bright , collateral sun without being exposed to drafts .
If you ’re using water , change out the old pee for a sassy cup every two to three days . Gardeners who prefer to habituate potting mix will need to keep it consistently moist until roots form .
This should materialise within two to three weeks .
If you ’re using a clear loving cup filled with either water or potting mix , you ’ll be able to see the new ancestor organization as it develops .
For an opaque container filled with potting mixing , you may involve to gently tug on the base of the works to screen whether or not it has rooted . If you feel any resistance , that ’s a preindication that yourP. verticillatuscutting has taken root !
pick out a four- to six - inch container with drain jam and a knockout to place beneath it . fulfil it with fresh potting premix . Make a hole the distance of the roots and cautiously transplant the rooted H2O - grown root word cut into its new home .
deal two inches of the stem with stain , but no more , and put the container back in a post where it will receive four to six minute of bright , indirect sunlight day by day .
After about a year , or whenever the root start to grow out of the drainage holes in whatever type of container you have selected to start your extension project , your Swedish Hedera helix will be ready to transplant into a larger pot as described below .
Transplanting
If you ’re ready to move your rooted stem cutting into a larger container , or if you ’ve brought home a youngP. verticillatusor another variety that you desire to gather into a more lasting home , here ’s how to do it .
First , select a potentiometer with drainage hole and a detachable drain dish aerial . A container that ’s at least 10 to 12 column inch panoptic and eight inches deep is idealistic – remember , this houseplant can grow two to three feet improbable and wide .
But you also do n’t want to identify a small specimen in a big container that arrest too much soil , since the health of the roots can be affect by oversaturation .
you could also prune your works to keep it small ( more on that in a moment ) , but giving it ample space to get without going overboard is significant .
Swedish ivy also shines in a hanging basket where its vibrant leaf can drape over the border of the pot .
Miracle - Gro Indoor Potting Mix
replete your chosen container with fresh potting mix . I like to employ this indoor potting grease from Miracle - Gro , available in 16 - quart grip from Amazon , because it ’s plan to be less prone to fungus gnat .
It ’s made with a compounding ofcoconut coir , perlite , peat moss peat moss , fertilizer , and a wetting agent .
Make a maw in the soil that ’s as deep and wide as the root ball you ’ll be transplant .
cautiously remove your youngP. verticillatusfrom its stack , using a butter knife to loosen the soil at the edge of the container if you postulate to . you could also softly squeeze the pot if it ’s flexible , to loosen the root formal .
Place the root chunk inside the waiting muddle and backfill with soil , bring caution to forfend covering the stem . Water thoroughly and tardily until you see the water start to fill the drainage dish .
Let the works sit for about 10 minutes before discharge the smasher .
How to Grow
Swedish Hedera helix prefers a soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5 , which most potting mix easily furnish . This houseplant grows best with promising , collateral sun for four to six time of day every day , although it cantolerate low light conditions .
Swedish ivy prefers eminent humidity . It will tolerate the lower humidity rule in most homes , even during the winter calendar month – although it never hurts to place a humidifier near the plant .
An excessively dry plant can attract wanderer jot . If you keep a humidifier on hand for times when those nasty winter low temperature come to , like I do , you could put it to expend for your works when you ’re not using it in the sickroom !
Overwatering is the number one cause of death forP. verticillatus , according to Dr. Perry as reference above , so it ’s important to follow these watering road map :
weewee about once a calendar week during the outpouring and summer , allowing the top couple of in of soil to dry out before irrigate again . Yellowing leaves are a sign of the zodiac of overwatering , so if you comment this symptom , you ’ll need to water even less oft .
In the fall and winter , you ’ll only ask to water your industrial plant about once every two to three week . It wo n’t be growing as much during these seasons , and giving it too much water is risky .
Allow the dirt to dry out to about doubly as many in deeply as you would in the spring between waterings .
If you irrigate so infrequently that the leaves begin to droop and find rubbery , go onward and irrigate your Swedish ivy . But be certain to watch the territory wet first , in caseful other members of your household may be water as well .
Wilting can also be a symptom of root rot , unwashed in oversaturated grime .
During periods of active ontogenesis in the spring and summer , fertilise yourP. verticillatusevery two to three weeks with indoor plant life fertilizer , like this one from Miracle - Gro that’savailable from the Home Depot .
Miracle - Gro Liquid Indoor Plant Food
This 1 - 1 - 1 NPK fertiliser fall in an eight - ounce bottle and it is the perfect strength for your Swedish common ivy – or in other words , it ’s not too strong !
Avoid fertilizing during the downfall and wintertime .
In the summertime , you may put your industrial plant in a fishy or partly sunny location outside for an increasing issue of time of day each day until it has adjusted to the outdoor precondition and can persist outside full - time .
If you do this , and cut back tearing a snatch , you may get to see pallid empurpled spike of prime after you bring your plant back inside in the fall !
Just remember to bring your houseplant back inside once nighttime temperature take off to drop below 60 ° F .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Swedish ivy is more often than not a low - maintenance houseplant , but it does require veritable pruning .
You do n’t have to do anything too complicated , though – just pinch or cut off any leggy or unruly stems every couple of weeks with a sharp , clean duad of trimmer .
Select stems that are growing longer than the rest , or that are disrupt the curvaceousness of the plant .
Regular trimming will keep it from develop too large and encourage it to separate out . These plant are also great for novice because they ’re able to withstand severely pruning if they become too tall-growing or necessitate some meaning shaping up .
While you ’ll probably terminate up toss out some of those stanch out , you may also propagate them to give to your friends and fellowship as gifts .
If your Swedish ivy blooms , pinch back the base to encourage fork and new growth after the flowers disappearance . You canread more about deadheading bloom industrial plant in our guide .
After two or three years , or whenever the roots set out to poke out of the drain holes , move your Swedish English ivy into a container that ’s two inches all-encompassing and deeper than its current home .
ensure the new container has drain holes and a detachable drainage dish , and fulfill it with fresh potting mix . Transplant as described above , and water thoroughly .
Water it again every two to three day until you discover young , participating growth . Then , slow up back down to the normal watering schedule .
It is n’t likely that you ’ll require to repot yourP. verticillatusagain after this , as it only reaches up two to three substructure tall and spacious at maturity . But refresh the soil periodically is a good idea , even if you do n’t require to size up the pot .
Species and Cultivars to Select
Swedish ivy can be difficult to cut across down , and though various species of spurflower show promise in commercial cultivation , cultivars and cross continue uncommon in the US market today .
Here , we discuss the eccentric of Swedish Hedera helix that are typically more pronto available .
With its uniformly green , scallop leaves , P. verticillatuscan brighten up your home in wintertime , and make a pleasing , solid - dyed anchor for the collection of hanging flower basketful on your porch during the summertime .
Swedish Ivy in 2 - in Pot
you could rule a two - inch potted Swedish English ivy plantfrom The Plant Store , available via Amazon .
You may also be able to discover a cutting by look for your local online market place listings . Remember that this flora may also be identified by the namesP. australisand Swedish begonia – admit these terms in your search for the best chance of find a match !
A near congeneric with similar care requirements , P. coleoides‘Variegata ’ also perish by the name “ variegated Swedish ivy ” or “ white - edged Swedish Hedera helix . ” It has a similar trailing habit and scalloped leaves . notice that variegated plants may sometimes scorch in direct sunlight .
The chief characteristic that distinguishes it fromP. verticillatusis that each green leaf has a thin livid border at the edge . This sport pop of contrast coloring will be an attention - getter for anyone and everyone who chit-chat your home !
vary Swedish English ivy grows six to eight inches tall and spreads 24 to 26 inch .
P. purpuratusis another attractive selection , if you may find it , with striking majestic and dark green leaves . Also known as the Vick ’s plant , in reference to the famed mentholated hitch , its leaves release a acrid scent when scratch or crushed .
Managing Pests and Disease
True to its easygoing nature , P. verticillatusisn’t plagued by too many types of pests or disease . Because it appreciates more or less juiceless grease , you ’ll need to keep an eye out forspider mites ( Tetranychidaespp . ) .
As we mentioned above , a humidifier can aid keep the air around the industrial plant moist enough to dissuade these bantam pests .
If you notice any telltale net on the leaves , wipe them away at once and spray your plant with a miticide , like Bonide ’s Mite - X , which isavailable in 12 - ounce feeding bottle from Arbico Organics .
Bonide Mite - ecstasy
If you notice cotton wool - like masses on your plant , you ’re in all likelihood dealing withmealybugs ( Pseudococcidaespp . ) . These pests love warm , wet soil – another reason not to overwater your Swedish ivy .
polish off idle bug with a cockeyed cloth and spray the works with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent reinfestation .
Root rot and folio point are the main diseases to watch out for . Both favor too pissed shape , so keep your plant ’s soil from getting soggy and you probably wo n’t have any issue .
If you notice spots on the leaf , take away the affected foliage and spray the plant with a copper spray like Bonide ’s copper color fungicide , which isavailable in a 16 - ounce spray bottle from Arbico Organics .
Bonide Copper Fungicide
Root rot willcause your intact plant to wilt , no matter how much you adjust your watering practice . The best course of military action is to cut back off the healthiest stems and spread them to lead off fresh industrial plant , and then discard the parent .
Best Uses
I call back this houseplant would seem adorable on a hearth mantle , Oval Office - style . Same for a bookshelf . Imagine the pretty vines trailing over your treasured collection of books !
you may also put it in a container in your living way to add a dada of green , or put it in a flow basket for append indoor stake .
If you hold out in zone 10 or 11 , you’re able to grow this plant outdoors , where it shines in a border .
Or , keep it in a container or string up handbasket and set it on your porch during the summer for a upbeat welcome to any guests who do over .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Minty Fun
There ’s something stimulate about the odor and feel of a mint plant , and this mint congeneric may just give you the burst of vigour you palpate you ’ve been lacking .
Have you ever spring up one of these houseplant ? Or , even better , have you ever inherit a cutting from the Oval Office ? We wouldloveto discover your Swedish ivy level . Leave any anecdotes or questions in the comment section below !
And call back to check out these clause about get otherhouseplantsnext :
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About
Laura Ojeda Melchor
