Herself’s Houston Garden

This plant is one of the reasons I love our subtropical climate. It may take a few years before I see a flower, usually the plant must be 6 years old before flowering.

The leaf is just one leaf which is what you see in the photo right now.

The flower, when it arrives, will be purple and like a calla lily but about 2′ high on a stalk that is about 5′ tall and stinking of rotten meat. The smell only lasts a few days so don’t let that keep you from growing this plant. The plant is fertilized by beetles in its native habitats of Indonesia.

The flower arrives first in the spring usually in May, and after the flower is gone the leaf will arrive a month or so later in June.

This plant wants bog conditions or a pond or at the very least daily waterings. But may rot if we have a wet winter.

Plant in the shade. I find it is susceptible to leaf scorch in dry, windy conditions.

It will eventually form a clump of plants.

Many local gardeners grow this in pots and take it in when cold, but there is no need, it should winter over just fine in Houston.

Each year the tubers of this plant shrink to be replaced by larger ones that grow over the summer.

It is susceptible to nematodes.

Its cousin amorphophallus titanum is the one that makes the news when it blooms. That flower is about 9′ tall.

More information:
This issue of Wayne’s Word is Dedicated to Stinking Flowers

These pictures were taken in April shortly after I planted the plectranthus. Since then it has put up more blooms each week and is lovely. Flowers come in white, pink, and purple. They are best loved for their ability to grow well and flower in shade. Purple flowers appear in early spring and the plant will flower until the cold weather settles in.

Leaves are dark green topside, purple on the underside.

This is a rapidly growing shrub, and can reach 30″ in height, but usually remains under 2′. Width is about equal to height.

Plectranthus grows well in part sun to full shade. In sun it will be smaller than if grown in the shade. Leaves have a more intense color in the sun especially the underside.

Extremely easy to propagate by cuttings, you don’t even need rooting hormone, it may in fact hurt your cuttings. Cuttings will also root in water.

Water often, it prefers moist soil. But once established will tolerate occasional drought.

Pinch back ends occasionally to keep it from getting leggy. Also blooms appear on new growth so a bit of trimming in the early spring will encourage more blooms.

While this plant is a member of the mint and ivy family ‘Mona Lavender’ has been breed to be better behaved and will not take over your garden. It does much better in the ground than in pots, probably because of its preference for constantly mildly damp soil.

Frost is a problem for these plants. Cut them back in the spring if frost damaged and they should bounce back just fine.

Plectranthus also do very well in hanging baskets.

These are usually planted in masses. I just have the one now, but will take cuttings once the plant is settled.

These are native plants in eastern Africa through to southern Arabia. There are over 350 varieties of Plectranthus.

Propagate by cuttings. They should easily root in water or moist soil with out rooting hormone.

See also:
Talk at Mercer

Once your ground orchids are settled in they will bloom from three months to the entire spring/summer/fall depending on growing conditions. Mine were blooming when I brought them home, bloomed about a month and stopped. But that is not unusual for new transplants.

These are tender plants only rated for zone 11, damage can occur below 45′F and most certainly below 40′F. Dig up the bulbs in the winter or hope for a mild one. Or better yet, grow it in a pot that you can bring in during the winter.

Despite the ‘ground’ in the name it will not take over your garden. It is slow to spread.

It prefers damp soil, high humidity, and light shade. It will cook in full sun.

The plant with flowers is about 18″ tall. But flower stalks can go as high as 36″.

Flowers come in white and yellow besides the more common purple.

Propagate by division.

Also know as ‘boat orchid’.

Ground orchids are originally from Borneo.   After the Krakatoa volcano this was one of the first three species to return.  By  1906 it has re-established itself across the island.