'Mona Lavender' is an outstanding container plant. The interesting foliage (foreground) combines nicely with Sun Coleus 'Tilt a Whirl'. Photo made in the UT Gardens by E. Smith. >>>download photo

Submitted by Emily K. Smith


Do you have a favorite summer plant? If you have a green thumb like mine, your favorite plant changes from month to month. One of my absolute favorites this month is the Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender'.

The genus Plectranthus may sound familiar. The genus is huge and includes common plants such as Swedish Ivy and Creeping Charlie. Although many of the plants in this genus have a habit of creeping, Mona Lavender has a compact, mounded form. Mona Lavender has beautiful dark green leaves with contrasting undersides that are as purple as an eggplant. This leaf contrast is very common with many other Plectranthus species.

The tender perennial grows to be 18 to 24 inches tall and is ideal for full-sun to partial-shade locations in your garden. Mona Lavender prefers moist but well-drained soil and a slow-release fertilizer in late spring.

The foliage is unique and special, but the real prize on this plant is the dark lavender flower spikes. These flowers appear in mid-summer and continue to add color to your garden until frost.

Mona Lavender is ideal for mass plantings in your garden or for container gardening. Enjoy this plant with multiple combinations in your patio containers during the summer months. Then when the cold months come, move Mona Lavender inside and enjoy it as a houseplant for a splash of color during the gray months of winter.

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Emily K. Smith is a graduate student in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences. She works under the guidance of Dr. Susan Hamilton, director of the UT Gardens. The UT Gardens are located on Neyland Drive in Knoxville. Admission is free, and the Gardens are open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours.

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