Plant Information

Common Name: LOBSTER FLOWER 'PEPPERMINT CREAM'
Scientific Name: Coleus neochilus variegated 'Peppermint Cream'
Alternative Names: Smelly coleus, Fly bush, Mosquito bush, Rotstuinsalie (Afr.)

N/A

R90.00

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Description

• Perennial
• In 2019 the name Plectranthus neochilus changed to Coleus neochilus.
• Plants can be found growing naturally in dry thicket, usually under trees in open and sometimes rocky woodland and among rocks in grassland and in bushveld, in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West provinces in South Africa, as well as in Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana.
• Lobster Flower is an evergreen shrub with attractive, grey-green, succulent leaves that smell pungent when bruised.
• Beautiful deep blue to purple flowers is borne on a terminal inflorescence of lobster-like flowers from September to April.
• It is drought resistant, waterwise, thrives in hot, dry areas and can be planted in sun or semi-shade.
• Lobster Flower is a bedding plant or groundcover, and it also thrives in containers.
• They are seldom attacked by pests.
• In wet climates, it may be prone to fungal attack.

Other Uses

• It is said that Lobster Flower can repel snakes, mosquitoes, flies and most garden pests because of their strong, unpleasant aromatic smell.
• This makes Coleus neochilus an ideal companion plant for vegetable gardens.
• It is also thought that they can be used effectively as an air purifier.

The information contained within this website is for educational purposes only. This site merely recounts the traditional uses of specific plants as recorded through history. Always seek advice from a medical practitioner.

Mountain Herb Estate, and its representatives will not be held responsible for the improper use of any plants or documentation provided. By use of this site and the information contained herein you agree to hold harmless Mountain Herb Estate, its affiliates and staff