HOURS:
Mon to Fri 8am - 6pm
Fri & Sat 8am - 8pm
Sun 8am - 7pm
LOCATION:
8546 Sun Valley Road
Anytown, USA  12345
CONTACT:
phone: 261.788.5500
fax: 261.787.0463
e-mail: info@successgc.com
UP AND COMING
Deer-Resistant Gardening
Master Gardener Dorothy Dupage shares her experiences creating a truly deer-resistant garden in this month's popular 'Garden Talk' installment...
VIEW

Plant Finder

perennial

Purple Swedish Ivy

Plectranthus purpuratus

Add To My Wish List

Purple Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus purpuratus) at A Very Successful Garden Center

Purple Swedish Ivy foliage

Purple Swedish Ivy foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Plant Height:  15 inches

Flower Height:  24 inches

Spacing:  18 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  9a

Other Names:  Vick's Plant, Candleplant, Spur Flower

Description:

Attractive spikes of lavender flowers are impressive when massed above soft green and white foliage that’s tinged with purple; mounded form should be occasionally trimmed to maintain shape; a lovely addition to the garden or containers; heat tolerant

Ornamental Features

Purple Swedish Ivy features showy spikes of lavender flowers rising above the foliage from mid spring to late fall. Its attractive serrated pointy leaves remain green in color with showy white variegation and tinges of purple throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Purple Swedish Ivy is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Purple Swedish Ivy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Purple Swedish Ivy will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Purple Swedish Ivy is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Garden  Groundcover  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color 
Ornamental Features