Swedish Ivy

Plectranthus verticillatus

Vining & TrailingVery easyFast🐾 pet-safe

Good to know: Neither Swedish nor an ivy. It's a South African mint relative, popularized as a windowsill pass-along plant in Scandinavia. Crushed leaves smell faintly minty.

Through the year 🗓️

☀️ Summer now

Water more often in heat and keep pinching tips to hold the full, rounded shape.

🍂 Fall

Taper feeding, take backup cuttings, and move it closer to the light as days shorten.

❄️ Winter

Rest it cooler and drier: water when the pot feels light, and skip fertilizer.

🌱 Spring

Cut leggy winter growth back hard and repot or refresh soil. It regrows in weeks.

The details

Light & placement

Light: Bright indirect; tolerates medium light but gets leggy; morning sun is fine, hot afternoon sun scorches
Ideal PPFD: 150–300 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
Grow-light distance: 18–24 in below LED

Water & feed

Watering method: Top-water until it drains; let the top 1 in of soil dry between waterings. Slightly drought-tolerant thanks to semi-fleshy stems, but wilts dramatically (and recovers fast) when truly thirsty.
Fertilizer: Balanced liquid feed at ½ strength, monthly in spring–summer.

Home & habit

Soil: Standard well-draining houseplant mix with a little perlite; pH 6.0–7.0
Humidity: Average (40–50%)
Temperature: 60–75 °F
Mature size: Trails 2–3 ft
Repotting: Every 1–2 yrs in spring, or restart from cuttings
Propagation: Stem cuttings root in days in water or moist soil, among the easiest of any houseplant.

When something looks wrong

Overwatering signs: Yellowing lower leaves, blackened soft stems, soggy soil smell
Underwatering signs: Sudden full-plant wilt; dry, dull leaves that perk up after a drink
Common pests: Mealybugs, spider mites, whiteflies

Care notes: Pinch growing tips every few weeks. Unpinched plants turn into a few long, bare strands. Old plants get woody and sparse; take cuttings and start fresh.

Common problems 🩺

The usual suspects when Swedish Ivy looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.

Long, bare, floppy stems

Likely cause
Low light, plus a natural sprawling habit.

What to do
Brighter indirect light and regular pinching keep it full.

Mushy stems at the base

Likely cause
Overwatering.

What to do
Let the top inch dry between waterings.

White cottony spots in the leaf joints

Likely cause
Mealybugs.

What to do
Dab them off with alcohol on a cotton bud, then treat with neem weekly until clear.