Flowers best in part sun or light shade with regular watering. Can also tolerate coastal situations and clay soils. Cut back hard after blooming to keep plant dense and tidy.

Plectranthus ecklonii is native to the Eastern Cape region of South Africa where it grows in moist subtropical coastal and temperate forests and forest margins, often along the margins of streams. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'plektron' meaning a "spur" and 'anthos' meaning "flower" in reference to the spur that is found at the base of the corolla tube of the type species Plectranthus fruticosus. The specific epithet honors the Danish naturalist Christian Friedrich Ecklon, who first visited South African in 1823 and developed an interest in the flora. He co-authored a catalogue of SA plants in 1835-7. We grow this nice plant, and the white form 'Alba' from 1996 until 2002 and every time we have seen it since wonder why we were are not still growing it – probably because it wants a little more water than we wanted to give it. 

This information about Plectranthus ecklonii displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.