Hello everybody,
Does anyone grow some of the edible plectranthus (coleus) species as houseplants? I’ve read that they are fast growers and also drought tolerant. That’s why I’m curious how well they will grow indoors on a sunny window sill. Of course they can be brought outside during summer as well.
I’ve read that plectranthus are easy to propagate from cuttings. Does anyone know if they are self-fertile, and germinate easily?
They are easy to propagate by cuttings. Two cuttings can pollinate each other at the minimum, I have 2 cuttings in my greenhouse and their flowers had seeds. Don’t know if they germinate easily. Also don’t know how they do inside. My inground ones are alive and they haven’t gotten water for like a month probably, but they are in a little oak dome, so that soil is just naturally wetter. So I would say at least a little drought tolerent. They don’t grow that fast when neglected.
Note that my inground ones and my greenhouse ones are at least different varieties, possibly different species. They have different leaves and smell. But they are both called cuban oregano.
Years ago my old Cambodian coworkers gave me a plant. They used to propagate it from cuttings easily.
I have a 5 gallon container of cuban oregano in my kitchen bay window. It is very easy to grow. It roots readily from a stem with 2 or 3 leaves. The only problem I’ve had is from soilborne pathogens which can wipe the roots out. I usually renew my plants once a year by cutting healthy sprigs and putting them in a new 5 gallon container with sterilized soil mix. I don’t put them outside because whiteflies and a few other pests get in the containers and can lay eggs in the soil.
Good to know that they do produce seeds. I’ll do some more research to see if they are actually self fertile, or you require two different varieties.
Those leaves are quite large.
Thanks for the tip about renewing the plants.
As an fyi, cuban oregano (coleus ambonicus) is a documented galactagogue. Drinking tea (as a tisane) made from the leaves will cause a woman to produce more milk. It is also used as a spice in many parts of the world. The flavor is a bit unusual and definitely takes a while to learn to enjoy.
Interesting medicinal information. Regarding flavour I don’t know what to expect. A bit like regular oregano. Some other culinary plectranthus species have hints of lemon, they say.
Neither of the two I have are really like organo at all. But no matter what, they are crazy strong. One I have has a little bit of lemonyness, the other more pepperminty.
