My favorite plant of the week is this gem that we got from Hampton Court Flower Show last month from the Trewidden stand. While I was busy scrutinising the succulents and proteas they had on offer, Gaz zoomed in on this one amongst the other plants on the table and the decision was made right then and there that it will go home with us. They only bought one plant with them for the show and we were fortunate enough to be there early and at the right time too to grab it before anyone else could.
Plectranthus oertendahlii
And I'm so glad we did! As soon we got it home my thoughts immediately went into finding a nice new pot to put in that will also complement the colours of its leaves.I just love the way it looks with its dark green leaves contrasting with its purple undersides and its velvet like texture!
This evergreen perennial is apparently easy to propagate by cuttings so we'll definitely do that to increase our stocks as well as to ensure we have some back ups.
I've been reading conflicting aspect reports on this plant, with some sources saying it requires full sun while others say it tolerates full shade. Perhaps they are that adaptable? Personally I'd say they do well in a bright location with some sun to partial shade. Perhaps full sun too if it's not allowed to dry out. It is not hardy in our location and can only tolerate light frosts if left outside but they seem easy enough to overwinter indoors or in a greenhouse gently heated to keep it just above freezing.
Because of this plant I've started to explore its genus even further and there are some other nice ones out there too. Perhaps this one will lead to more Plectranthus in our garden in the future.
We join Loree of Danger Garden in celebrating our favorite plant of the week!
Mark :-)