Latin name: Plectranthus amboinicus variegatus

Common name: I have seen this sold as Plectranthus 'Lemon Twist' the closest I can come to a common name!

Size: 18" - 30" high, 18" - 24" wide

Favored growing conditions: Full sun or part shade, well-drained soil, fairly drought tolerant. Great for containers.

Flower color: I have never seen this plant in bloom.  The foliage color is a soft green with creamy-yellow margins.

Hardiness: Other similar Plectranthus are hardy in Zone 10,  but I can find no information about this variety.  Usually grown as an annual.

Pros: This plant forms a solid mound of clean, colorful foliage.  It has performed well in my garden in hot, sunny summers, and cool, rainy seasons.  I plant it in the early summer near perennials that will soon go dormant, such as traditional bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) or spring-blooming bulbs. 

Cons:  No flowers, if that matters to you.  This plant may not be widely available yet, but keep asking!


Comments: Like other types of Plectranthus (including the popular house plant Swedish Ivy) this plant is easy to propagate from cuttings.  I take cuttings in the early fall and root small plants to over-winter indoors.

Suggested companion plants: Lemon Twist Plectranthus looks great with almost any annuals and perennials, but it is particularly smashing with blue or red flowers, and all plants with purple foliage.  It would be great in front of green-foliage Cannas, or planted with any of the salvias. 

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