Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Nepetoideae
Tribe: Ocimeae
Genus: Plectranthus
Species: P. fruticosus
Binomial name: Plectranthus fruticosus
Common names: Pink Spur Flower, Mole tree
Plectranthus fruticosus is a fast-growing, ramified, pubescent, upright, soft-wooded perennial shrub that will reach a height of up to 1 m. It is native the humid subtropical forests of South Africa.from Caledon in the Western Cape to the Limpopo Province.
It has green broad-oval leaves up to 10 cm long with a pointed apex are soft to touch and are heavily veined and with margins that are toothed. They emit a strong smell of mint. Its inflorescences are elongated branched terminal panicles, 80-250 mm long with pink to purple flowers. In New Zealand, they appear from February to March & April.
There are many varieties of Plectranthus.
There is a form called Plectranthus fruticosus 'James' which is found at high altitudes (1000m+) on exposed rocky outcrops in an area around the Mpumalanga - Swaziland border.The photo below is of the hybrid Plectranthus fruticosus L'Hérit. 'James' Photographed at Tupare Gardens, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
