Some species of Plectranthus are difficult to identify because of a lack of clear-cut morphological criteria to discriminate not only among species within the genus but also among the closely related genera. This has resulted in numerous taxonomic problems in the naming of species with the result that species have often been placed in several closely related genera like Coleus, Solenostemon and Englerastrum. In addition, some species formally placed in Plectranthus, are now recognized as the more distantly related genus Isodon.
Because of these taxonomic issues, different names have often been used for the same species of Plectranthus and thus it has been difficult to collate information about the ethnobotanical uses of this genus. Furthermore, the most commonly used medicinal species of Plectranthus have a high degree of synonymy[].
This report is very much indebted to the work of C.W. Lukhoba et al. - Journal of Ethnopharmacology 103 (2006) 1–24[] in untangling much of this mess of names, and utilizes the on-line Kew database ‘World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://wcsp.science.kew.org/home.do) for determining currently accepted names and synonyms (as of 2018).

Common Name:

General Information

Plectranthus fruticosus is a freely-branched shrub with ascending or rarely decumbent stems; it can grow 60 - 200cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. A popular garden plant, it is often grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The plant is known to have embryo- and fetotoxic activities on rodents[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Southern Africa - southern Mozambique, S. Africa

Habitat

Forest, scrub forest and shady places among rocks[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a shady position, though some cultivars can tolerate full sun[, ].
Often grown as an ornamental, there are some named varieties[].
The leaves and branches are aromatic, and release a pungent odour when touched or crushed. Whether pleasant or objectionable tends to be a matter of opinion - one of the common names for this plant is skunk bush[]..
This species and Plectranthus grallatus are often confused in the herbarium. There are minor differences in the colour of the gland-dots, flower colour and toothing of the leaf margins; the main difference, however, is their range. Plectranthus grallatus is found further inland and at higher elevations than Plectranthus fruticosus, their ranges only very occasionally overlapping[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is antimicrobial. It is used to treat burns[].

The plant contains kaurane diterpenoids, which are at least partly responsible for the antimicrobial action[].

Other Uses

The plant is used as an insect repellant[]. Bunches of the plant are hung up indoors, or the stems are rubbed on window sills to repel flies[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow in well-drained soil, covering lightly with a thin layer of sand, and place in a warm but shaded spot. The seed germinates in about three weeks[].
Cuttings of Plectranthus species generally root easily - soft tips root faster than semi-hardwood growth. The cuttings are best taken 60 - 100mm long with three or four nodes, making the cut just below a node. Place them in sand, perlite, vermiculite or peat, or any mixture of these, keep them moist and shaded and they should root in 2 - 3 weeks[]

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