Family: Lamiaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Plectranthus verticillatus (commonly known as gossip spurflower, money plant, or Swedish ivy) is native to southern Africa, ranging from southern Mozambique to South Africa. It is a fast-growing, trailing perennial with glossy, rounded, scalloped leaves that form dense cascading vines. The plant is widely cultivated as an ornamental for hanging baskets, ground cover in shaded landscapes, and as an easy-care houseplant valued for its lush foliage and low maintenance needs. Its ability to root readily from stem cuttings has contributed to its popularity in horticulture around the world.

Risks & Threats
In Hawaiʻi, Plectranthus verticillatus is naturalized on Oʻahu and Maui, meaning it has escaped cultivation and is now established in the wild. This species possesses traits that are cause for concern, including vigorous growth, rapid vegetative spread, and the ability to form dense mats that can displace slower-growing native understory plants. In suitable moist and shaded environments, it may compete with native vegetation and alter ground cover structure in tropical island ecosystems. Because of these impacts, it is considered a high-risk species, and planting is discouraged. When available, choosing a low-risk or native alternative is strongly recommended to help protect Hawaiʻi’s unique ecosystems.

High Risk Traits:

• Grows in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Oahu and Maui (Hawaiian Islands), Australia, and elsewhere
  
• A potential environmental weed in Australia, controlled in certain situations
  
• Other Plectranthus species are invasive
  
• Shade-tolerant (could invade intact forest undetstory)
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by stem fragments (roots at nodes)
  
• Able to reach maturity in one growing season
  
• Spread unintentionally by disposed garden waste and intentionally cultivated
  
• Tolerates repeated cutting

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Ornamental
  
• Herbicides may provide effective control