How to Grow Swedish Ivy Purple Heart
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Swedish Ivy Purple Heart
Plectranthus scutellarioides
flowerSwedish Ivy Purple Heart is a tender perennial houseplant prized for its striking deep purple foliage and delicate lavender flowers. It combines ornamental foliage with attractive blooms, making it a popular choice for hanging baskets and indoor gardens. The velvety leaves and trailing growth habit create an elegant, cascading display.
When should you plant Swedish Ivy Purple Heart in your zone?
Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.
Example Swedish Ivy Purple Heart timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Swedish Ivy Purple Heart
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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First Swedish Ivy Purple Heart blooms
Around Jun 1≈ 45 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Swedish Ivy Purple Heart dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Zones 10-11 outdoors; typically grown as a houseplant in cooler regions
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Get my Swedish Ivy Purple Heart timeline →Growth Stages
Seedling
2-3 weeksYoung plants emerge with simple green to purple-tinged leaves; very tender and small
Keep soil consistently moist, provide bright indirect light, maintain warmth (65-75°F), and maintain humidity with misting or humidity dome
Vegetative Establishment
3-4 weeksPlants develop deeper purple coloration in leaves as they grow; stems become more robust and begin trailing
Pinch growing tips to encourage bushier growth, gradually acclimate to indoor light conditions, fertilize weekly with diluted balanced fertilizer
Active Growth
4-6 weeksVigorous trailing growth with full purple foliage; stems elongate and create cascading form; plant reaches established size
Continue pinching tips if more bushiness desired, maintain consistent moisture and humidity, fertilize every 2 weeks, rotate pot weekly for even growth
Flowering
6-12 weeks (can bloom multiple times per year indoors)Delicate lavender or pale purple flowers appear along leaf nodes; flowers are small and tubular, arranged in spikes
Maintain consistent watering and humidity, continue fertilizing to support blooms, ensure adequate bright light, deadhead spent flowers for continuous blooming
Mature Plant
Ongoing (can live 2-3+ years)Full-grown trailing plant with established dense foliage, regular flowering cycles, and stable appearance
Prune to maintain shape, reduce watering in winter months, refresh potting soil annually, provide occasional foliar misting, watch for legginess and rejuvenate with cuttings
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Increase humidity through misting, spray leaves with water, use neem oil or insecticidal soap if severe
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Remove with cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, isolate plant, spray with insecticidal soap weekly until clear
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Spray with water to dislodge, use insecticidal soap, neem oil, or horticultural oil every 7-10 days
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Scrape off manually, treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap, repeat treatments every 7-10 days
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Use yellow sticky traps, spray leaves with insecticidal soap or neem oil, increase air circulation
Uses
Indoor Decoration & Ornamental Display
HouseholdSwedish Ivy Purple Heart is exceptional as a hanging basket specimen or shelf display plant, adding vibrant purple foliage and delicate flowers to interior spaces. Its trailing habit and colorful leaves create visual interest in homes and offices. [source]
Floral Arrangements & Cut Flowers
CraftThe stems with their purple leaves and lavender flowers are useful for fresh or dried floral arrangements, adding texture and color variation to bouquets and displays. [source]
Air Purification & Biophilic Design
HouseholdAs a houseplant, it contributes to indoor air quality and biophilic home design, which is known to reduce stress and improve well-being by connecting people with nature. [source]
Pollinator Attraction
WildlifeThe small lavender flowers attract bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial pollinators when grown in outdoor or semi-outdoor settings, supporting pollinator populations. [source]
Traditional Herbal Use
MedicinalPlectranthus species have been used in traditional medicine in some cultures for various remedies, though modern research is limited. May have mild antimicrobial properties. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
For flower arranging, cut stems in the morning when flowers just open. For propagation, take 3-4 inch stem cuttings anytime during growing season and root in water or moist soil. Pinch growing tips regularly to maintain shape and encourage fuller growth.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Despite its common name 'Swedish Ivy,' this plant is not actually ivy and does not originate from Sweden—the name likely derives from its popularity in Scandinavian homes and its ivy-like trailing habit.
- 🌱 The deep purple coloration in the leaves is produced by anthocyanin pigments, the same compounds that make blueberries blue and are known for their antioxidant properties.
- 🌱 Swedish Ivy Purple Heart is extremely easy to propagate; a single stem cutting placed in water will develop roots within 1-2 weeks, making it simple to create new plants for friends or fill out hanging baskets.
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