John&Jacq~s Garden

Posted by Jacqueline on May 18th, 2009 in Plants database

Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ (Lavender Spur Flower, Mona Lavender)

Another love-at-first-sight flowering plant that was added to our garden in late April 2006. Within a couple of months, it grew into a very attractive compact bush with lots of dainty-looking tubular lavender-purple flowers in lovely batik design. Very showy and incredibly fascinating!

We got to enjoy its profuse flowering for about half a year until it gave up on us before that year-end. Probably, as a result of too much sunlight or overwatering or even excess trimming in our haste to propagate new plants? We really couldn’t pinpoint the cause of its demise!

Anyway, we’re determined to try growing it once more in the near future, now that we’re better armed with its growth culture as I researched further to write this article. Seeing images of its exquisite beauty has kindle anew our longing!

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’
• Common Name: Lavender Spur Flower, Mona Lavender
• Family name: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
• Plant type: Herbaceous ornamental shrub. A Plectranthus hybrid developed at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa by Roger Jaques in the late 1990s.
• Features: Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ is a beautiful hybrid of parentage P. saccatus (seed parent) and P. hilliardiae (pollen parent) of the genus, Plectranthus.
  A herbaceous and bushy perennial with a rounded, erect and upright growth habit. It is a vigorous grower and can typically grow to 60 cm (2 ft) or slightly more in height and width, but more compact in sunlight.
  Foliage is evergreen and attractive, with glossy dark green ovate leaves (roughly 5 x 2.54 cm) that curl slightly and have scalloped margins and lovely deep purple undersides.
  As stunning are its dainty and tiny tubular two-lipped flowers held in great abundance along numerous tall and erect dark-purplish spikes, more than 18 cm (7 in) long. Blooms are lavender in color and wonderfully speckled with purple markings that seem so exquisitely patterned as some batik fabrics or orchid species!
  It is a prolific bloomer and flowers over a long period throughout the growing season, especially in shortened daylight or shadier conditions.
  Primarily grown for its very showy flowers, it is now popularly and widely cultivated worldwide, in the tropical and subtropical regions, and even as an annual or tender perennial in the temperate regions, due to its easy culture.

• Culture (Care): P. ‘Mona Lavender’ (Lavender Spur Flower) is easy to grow, relatively fuss-free and rewards handsomely with non-stop flowering.
  Light: Best growth in filtered sunlight or semi-shade, but can tolerate full sun (not too strong and harsh though) or full shade.
  Moisture: Water regularly, especially during hot and dry seasons. Be mindful though, not to overwater which could lead to shedding of leaves prematurely.
  Soil: Grows best in moist, humus-enriched, loose and well-drained soil.
  Others: Prune lightly after flowering to maintain neatness and compactness, as well as to encourage denser branching and hence more blooms. Or alternatively, pinch back new stem tips regularly to induce more branching and maintain compact form. Spent flower spikes should be removed. Feed fortnightly with a balanced liquid fertilizer. If a granular fertilizer is used instead, place them away from the crown and water in well to avoid burning the tender roots. No serious insect or disease problems, though do watch out for mealy bugs and mites.
  For temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zones 9b-11. ‘Mona Lavender’ is not tolerant of very cold conditions, so should be protected from winter frost and freezes or overwinter it indoors. Plant it in spring if your area is affected by heavy frost otherwise anytime of the year will do for non-frost region. Blooms prolifically from autumn to early summer, when provided with proper culture.

• Propagation: Easily propagated from herbaceous stem cuttings or tip cuttings that root easily in soil or water.

• Usage: Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ is an excellent bedding plant for annual or perennial garden, either planted en masse, as specimen or in mixed plantings. Very ideal in raised planters, containers or hanging baskets to display its colorful beauty at decks, patios, garden porches, windowsills and balconies. Also, it can be grown as a houseplant in bright or shaded sites, and in greenhouses or conservatories. You can even take some stem cuttings including the flowering spikes and use them as floral display in a vase filled with water – not only one get to enjoy the long-lasting blooms, but the cuttings will eventually root and can be propagated as new plants for oneself or presented as gifts. Isn’t that lovely?

Some external links:

• Plantzafrica, SA National Biodiversity Institute
• Dave’s Garden
• Missouri Botanical Garden

Update: July 22, 2009
Sharing photos of potted Plectranthus in abundance at Cactus Valley, Brinchang in Cameron Highlands. Left image is the popular Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ in lavender, while the right image included two others, flowers in white and magenta pink. These two cultivars do not have leaves with purple underside as with ‘Mona Lavender’.

Most frequently seen in garden nurseries in the lowlands is the lavender variety. In fact, it was our first sight of white and magenta flowers…probably these aren’t as hardy as the ‘Mona Lavender’?

Last edited: August 8, 2009

Tags: flowering plants, indoor plants, lavender/lilac, outdoor plants, perennials, pink, purple, shrubs, white