Plectranthus amboinicus — iNaturalist
About
This semi-succulent perennial, commonly known as Cuban oregano or Indian borage, is highly valued for its pungent, oregano-like flavor and aroma, making it a popular culinary and ornamental plant.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant grows up to 1 m tall, with fleshy stems that can be hispidly villous or densely tomentose. Leaves are simple, broad, and ovate, measuring 5–7 cm by 4–6 cm, with coarsely crenate to dentate-crenate margins. The lower surface is covered in numerous glandular hairs, giving it a frosted appearance. Flowers are arranged in dense whorls on a slender, pubescent raceme.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Southern and Eastern Africa (from South Africa to Mozambique and north to Kenya and Tanzania), the Arabian Peninsula, and India. It thrives in woodland or coastal bush, on rocky slopes, and loamy or sandy flats at low elevations.
Cultivation notes
It is a fast-growing plant that can be propagated by stem cuttings or seeds. It prefers well-drained, semi-shaded positions in dry climates and is frost tender (USDA hardiness zones 10–11). While it requires full sun in humid tropical locations, it can be grown in pots in cooler climates by moving it indoors or to a warm, sheltered spot during winter.
History & etymology
The species epithet, *amboinicus*, refers to Ambon Island in Indonesia. It was first mentioned in 1747 in a volume by Georg Eberhard Rumphius, who encountered it in Ambon and the Banda Islands. The Linnaean name *Coleus amboinicus* was published in 1790 by João de Loureiro.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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