Plectranthus verticillatus

Swedish ivy

Plectranthus verticillatus (syn. Plectranthus nummularius), Swedish ivy, Swedish begonia or whorled plectranthus) is a plant in the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae), genus Plectranthus. Despite its common name, it is not close to the ivy family of the genus Hedera.

 

The plant has aromatic glossy, green, round leaves, which show a deep purple color in the center sometimes and tend to trail, reaching a height of between 10 to 30 cm and extends around 60 cm. This deep purple can also be found on the plant stems and on the underside of leaves. The leaves, which are widely serrated, are fleshy and rounded between 64 to 90 mm, with purple and hairy undersides with reddish sessile glands.

The upright racemes appear white, pale violet or pale pink and can sprout sporadically throughout the year (but more typically in spring and late autumn), which form verticillasters of 2-4 flowers and 2-3 mm bracts. The fruits are 1 mm nuts, brown in colour and wrinkled.

The name "Swedish ivy" is deceptive: the plant is not thigmotropic (meaning it does not cling to walls with the roots when it grows), is not native to Sweden, and is not closely related to the genus of ivy (Hedera). Some variegated, slivery plants called Swedish Ivy grown in pots and hanging baskets are Plectranthus oertendahlii from coastal river gorges of KwaZulu-Natal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectranthus_verticillatus