Plants

woolly plectranthus

Coleus barbatus

Family: Lamiaceae · Genus: Coleus

Indian coleus

Secondary I Medium No biomass production

woolly plectranthus — Tony Rebelo · CC BY-SA · GBIF

A perennial semi-succulent subshrub of the Lamiaceae family, native to tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia, widely grown in Brazil as backyard 'boldo'. It reaches about 1–1.5 m, with large aromatic leaves and purple-blue flowers in racemes. Traditionally used in folk medicine for the digestive system and the liver. It propagates readily from cuttings.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Plectranthus barbatus Andrews

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Secondary I
Ecological role: Early secondary
Primary stratum: Medium
Strata: Low, Medium
Biomass class: No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement: Partial sun
Water requirement: Moderate
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance: Low
Soil pH range: 5.5–7
Preferred soil texture: Loamy, Sandy
Hardiness zones: 9–11
Frost tolerance: -1.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height: 1–1.5 m
Root system: Fibrous
Root depth: Shallow
Growth rate: Fast
Lifespan: 4–10 years
Time to first harvest: 6 months
Productive lifespan: 6 years

Biomes & climate

Atlantic Forest Suitable
Cerrado Suitable

Köppen classes

Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable
Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable
Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
Subtropical highland (Cwb) Suitable

Where it fits in a guild

Woolly plectranthus takes the Medium stratum in the Secondary I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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✂️ Management & Pruning

A subshrub that tolerates pruning and resprouts readily: pinch the tips to bush out the foliage and cut back stems that grow leggy or flop. Periodic coppicing renews the leafy shoots, and the prunings serve as propagation cuttings.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of woolly plectranthus?

The first harvest of woolly plectranthus comes around 6 months after planting.

How tall does woolly plectranthus grow?

At maturity, woolly plectranthus reaches 1–1.5 m tall.

What stage and stratum does woolly plectranthus occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, woolly plectranthus belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the medium stratum.

Functions

Medicinal Aromatic Ornamental

Propagation

Cutting

Citations

Wikipedia (en) — Coleus barbatus (scientific_name, synonyms, family, genus, height_max_m, common_names, wikidata_qid, light_need)
Plants of the World Online (POWO), Kew (scientific_name, synonyms)
Useful Tropical Plants — Plectranthus barbatus (description, propagation)
Lorenzi & Matos, Plantas Medicinais no Brasil: Nativas e Exóticas (pruning_notes, lifespan_years_min, lifespan_years_max, productive_lifespan_years, time_to_first_harvest_months, frost_tolerance_c)