Plectranthus australis - Creeping Charlie

Plectranthus australis - Creeping Charlie

Pot Sizes:  4-inch square

The creeping Charlie plant (Plectranthus australis), a low-maintenance plant more commonly called Swedish ivy, is the forgetful gardener's best friend. Creeping Charlie might be grown as a perennial groundcover in U.S.D.A zones 10 through 11; in cooler zones, it is a resident houseplant. The shiny green scallop-edged leaves drape 2 to 3 feet down the sides of a planter. 

Perennial Houseplant

Size: Will cascade 2 to 3 feet
Light: Bright indirect light, but no direct sun (leaves will scorch).
Soil: Use an organic peat- based soil that drains well.
Water: Keep evenly moist in spring to fall (NOT waterlogged). Needs minimal water in the dormant winter season.
Bloom: Late Spring and Summer- when mature, will produce delicate, white or purple tubular-shaped flowers.
Other Notes: Trim several inches off the long vines to encourage new growth. The plant clippings can be used to propagate new plants.

Photo credits: C. McKowen