PlantFiles: Blue Spur Flower, Speckled Spur Flower, Candlestick Plant
Plectranthus ciliatus

I received a large plant from a neighbor, but she didn't know what it was. I found out it was Speckled Spur, P. ciliatus. It grew gorgeous spikes of white flowers with little speckles all over. The stem is very red, leaves are hairy. It grows prodigeously. I love to clean it up because it has a very nice odor as well as I remove old leaves. It's very water hungry. It looks great in my sunroom on a shelf so it can swoop down almost to the floor.

Plectranthus ciliatus also makes a wonderful groundcover, and looks great year round in my garden in San Francisco. It also thrives in deep shade, although you may not get any flowers.

I received this plant from a co-worker, she ahd left it in direct sunlight, and it was dark burgundy with very long legs. I didn't know what kind of plant it was!! I took a cutting to a florist, and she said it was a wandering jew due to the dark purple leaves. I didn't beleive her upon seeing a real wandering jew. Then I went somewhere else, and she told me exactly what it was, and how the dark purple was a pigment created by the plant to protect it from the direct sunlight. Also, the long legs are from too much sun as well. Since, I have cut legs off and dipped them in rooting powder to create a troop of them, and the plant is recovering marvelously.

I have two of these plants growing in partial sun in coastal Northern CA. I had bought them for the foliage and was astonished by the beauty of the flower spikes. My other plectranthus varieties have insignificant flowers and I was unprepared for how gorgeous this is as a flowering plant. Did not realize it was an invasive until I read it here, but that's not unusual for plectranthus which are all highly vigorous as a family.

The flower show has lasted for over a month. Highly recommended!

Although it is listed as hardy only in zones 10 and 11, my several plants of this Plectranthus (easy to propagate from cuttings!) have been living in Bremerton, Washington (zone 8b-9a) for four years now. They do get some dieback in hard freezes, but have resprouted each time (so far!). I have some of them in more exposed situations this year, so I will see if those come through the winter as well as those that have more protection.

This a truly spectacular plant - but you have to wait until fall for the big show. I used it in large mixed planters on my terrace where it acted as a simple background for the floriferous hot weather plants. It has Coleus-like olive green/reverse burgundy leaves and burgundy stems. Despite a drought filled season it didn't blink - and no insect bothered it. By late September when most of the summer show was fading the Plectranthus had taken over and filled the pot almost 3ft tall & 3 -5 ft across with its foliage and THEN it burst into a mass of large terminal lilac blue flowers. While the Lilac fragrance is missing, the size & form of the flowers are similar. The color is magnificent with New England fall foliage. It is only hardy to zone 10 or 11 thank goodness for it is considered an invasive weed in its native South Africa and in New Zealand where it has naturalized! I am in zone 6 and the pots are situated on the south side in almost full sun. I have taken cuttings and hope to grow them indoors through the winter ready for next year!

I only got this plant recently & so far I am very pleased with it. It makes a beautiful hanging basket.
The under leaf is as pretty as the top with it's deep wine color. It sounds very easy to propagate by cuttings.