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The Blue Spurflower, also known as Plectranthus barbatus and Coleus barbatus, has a tall, upright, bushy structure and blue-purple flowers, making this plant perfect for garden beds. This tall species prefers partial sunlight, nutrient-rich soil and warm temperatures and is fairly drought-resistant.
Although it has bright flowers and an impressive presence, the Blue Spurflower is a low-maintenance addition to your garden. Here are the key care requirements for the Blue Spurflower:
Choose a sunny location, preferably with partial sunlight, although the Blue Spurflower can tolerate full sun.
Prepare nutrient-rich, well-drained soil.
Water regularly, but don’t let the plant sit in wet soil for long periods of time.
Amend the soil with compost each year.
Most blue spur flowers can tolerate full sun, but they prefer partial shade to really thrive. They are naturally found in forests or along river banks with filtered light. Mimicking this type of lighting will give you the healthiest specimens.
For indoor lighting, it’s best to place the plants in a spot with bright, indirect lighting.
These bright flowers need rich soil like you’d find in the forest. Adding some organic matter or compost to your soil before planting will mimic this fertile environment. This will also help the soil drain well and avoid problems caused by overwatering.
The Plectranthus genus is drought-resistant, so it’s not very picky when it comes to watering. A regular watering schedule is still beneficial, but resist the urge to water it constantly.
If you live in a hot, dry climate, more water may be needed to keep the plant healthy. Be careful not to overwater, however, as this can quickly kill your plant. Water when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry.
In keeping with its hardy nature, the Blue Spurwort can withstand a wide range of temperatures. It tolerates heat well and can also survive frost.
As it is a tropical plant, severe frost will kill it, so be sure to protect it if you have harsh weather ahead. One way to do this would be to bring your Blue Spurwort indoors for the winter.
The Blue Spurwort is quite hardy and does not need to be fertilized frequently to maintain a full and healthy plant. Adding organic matter and compost to the soil before planting will meet its nutrient needs. If you want to encourage growth and flowering, a general fertilizer is the way to go.
The Blue Spurwort spreads easily, so you should prune it regularly during the growing season by simply trimming the tips to your liking. This will also ensure that your Blue Spurwort maintains an aesthetically pleasing shape.
The Blue Spurwort spreads aggressively. It does this by sending out offshoots underground. To propagate, you can simply dig up some of these offshoots and move the divided plant to its new location.
Another way to propagate is to use stem cuttings. The cuttings root easily in soil and can be grown without much effort. Here’s how to do it:
Using a sharp pair of garden shears or scissors, cut a piece of your plant a few inches long.
Remove the lower leaves.
Place your cutting in moist soil. Keep it moist while rooting.
Your new Blue Spurwort should root fairly quickly and before you know it, you’ll have another flowering plant.
The blue spurflower does quite well in pots and can even be brought indoors and kept as a houseplant during severe winters. If you choose to keep this plant in a pot, make sure you choose one with good drainage.
Because these plants are drought-resistant, they don’t like to sit in water. Too much water can kill them quickly, so drainage holes are a must.
The blue spurflower can tolerate slightly cooler temperatures, but will die in severe frosts. In USDA zones with cold winters, you will need to bring the blue spurflower indoors or simply treat it as an annual. In zones 9-11, the blue spurflower should survive the winter without any extra help. It may die back significantly, but should come back in the spring.
Fortunately, the blue spurflower does not suffer from any of thesey common plant diseases, but can get fungal infections such as leaf spots. To avoid this, don’t let the water sit on the leaves for too long. This shouldn’t be a big problem when growing outdoors, but as a precaution, it’s best to water your Blue Spurflower in the morning so the leaves have time to dry while the sun is shining.
The Blue Spurflower blooms easily and offers a colorful display.
The Blue Spurflower begins blooming in March in warm areas and continues to bloom until spring, possibly even summer.
Blue Spurflower plants produce stems full of small, blue-purple flower clusters in a slightly hooked shape. The flowers have no discernible odor.
To encourage more flowers, make sure your Blue Spurflower plant gets enough light and consider amending the soil around it with some fresh compost. You can also prune the flowers as needed to encourage the plant to produce more flowers.
Pruning spent Blue Spurflowers encourages the plant to produce even more flowers. By pruning regularly, you may be able to get your Blue Spurflower plant to produce flowers well into spring and even summer.