Coleus neochilus
snake repelling plants
Coleus neochilus, synonym Plectranthus neochilus, which is colloquially known as lobster bush, fly bush or mosquito bush, is a perennial ground cover with highly fragrant, partially scalloped, ovate leaves and purple blue inflorescent spikes.
Description
The succulent, grey-green leaves present with small hairs on the tops, and a grey-green colour. The plant itself remains a ground cover for the duration of its life (45–60 cm), forming massive bushes rather quickly. The aroma of the plant has been said to resemble cannabis or skunk. They bloom twice a year, in late summer and in late winter.
The specific epithet neochilus is derived from the Latin word chilo, which refers to the calyx or lips.
Habitat
The plant is found in dry brush lands, open and sometimes rocky woodland, from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga to Limpopo in South Africa, as well as in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia.
Cultivation
Lobster bushes can tolerate wide temperature ranges, dry conditions and almost any soil, but prefer a well-drained sandy loam in full sun or partial shade. Hard pruning is suggested after flowering. Stems root very readily and the plant extends, where it forms a tidy cluster.
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This entry incorporates text from “Coleus neochilus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.