PlantFiles: Vick's Plant, Mentholatum Plant
Plectranthus cylindraceus

This plant does well in a hanging basket and grows rapidly. It propagates readily from cuttings. I love to crush some leaves and put them in the toe of a stocking and hang in the shower when I have a cold. It really seems to help clear the sinus.

In looking for cerveza'n Lime', plectranthus, I could not find an exact match, but the pictures match well for Vicks, mine has more of a citrus scent. I received it as a cutting and am trying it out of doors in VA. I'll look a little closer for an exact match.

I've had P. cylindraceus for more then 5 years growing in very poor soil outdoors year round. It certainly is a surviver, and doing well on its own. Its fragrance is somewhere between camphor and menthol.
Today, I finally cleaned it up, placed it in a larger pot with fresh soil, and gave it a good trimming.

Did some research on it, from 'Sunset's Garden Book' syn. P. marrubioides, native of Africa, common names: 'Vick's Plant' and 'Mentholato'.

DougC

The VA hospital at Lyons, NJ grows about two hundred 5 inch pots a year and never has lost a pot. i have never seen flowers on the plant. it could be that we are always taking cuttings. its a big seller for us and good for our traing program

I have had vicks plants for 3 years. I have made lots and lots of cuttings to give away. I had never seen one bloom until recently. I had a new start right over my sink and I knocked it off in my dishwater 2 days before it bloomed. I got it right out of the water and hoped it didn't die.

I obtained my first cutting from friend in Taos, NM. " Zone 5"

Now I have 4 plants from the same cutting well established in Glenn Hgts., TX " Zone 8" Plants are healthy and nothing BUGS them! As an Herbalist , I have extracted an alcohol based tincture,to be used externally for chest cold treeatments.
-Michael