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Plectranthus Parviflorus Flea Bush Native Basil Seeds
Packet of 100+ very rarely seen home grown seeds!
While most of the Plectranthus parviflorus group is said to be odorless, this fella has a funky minty fragrance when crushed.
It isn’t the small blue flowered Bath Salts Plectranthus or the variegated Cockspur flower and it isn’t the standard Blue Flowered Plectranthus parviflorus either.
This is yet another wild undomesticated native relative.
As you can see, there is a lot of forms and confusion around this mob and some forms of Plectranthus argentatus and Plectranthus graveolens are also really really similar, but after a heck of a lot of research and consultation with experts over a couple years, I am really confident this identification is correct.
Most Plectranthus species are edible and have medicinal properties, but as this particular form is a bit different to most and information is limited, I can’t and don’t recommend you use this for anything but as a fast growing ornamental.
The unique genetics of this form makes it an ideal candidate for hybridization, and I reckon that will be the main motivation folks have for buying these seeds from me.
Ornamental or for breeding new hybrids, not as a salad folks.
The small amount I have eaten wasn’t offensive, but wasn’t delicious either.
Just moist and watery, with a minty herb-like flavour and a mild slimeyness due to it’s succulent nature.
The crushed leaves stop itching of mozzie bites and a spray make from the leaves stops potato beetle on Solanum species.
I regularly crush it up and use it as a mulch around the really valuable/rare seedlings and it seems to have a lot of insect repelling properties, but despite growing it for half a dozen years now that is as far as I have got with research into this fella.
With the frilly green and purple backed leaves and abundant white and pale blue flower spikes it makes a great choice as an ornamental though.
It grows super fast, and in the moist lush conditions of the greenhouse I have them self-seeding and popping up everywhere.
Here where we are there is no chance of it becoming weedy as it doesn’t survive our rocky dry soil.
Been growing it for years and never had any pop up outside the greenhouse, but keep an eye on it further south and north especially in cool moist shady areas, and don’t let it escape if it isn’t already native to your region.
Grown by me and the Mrs organically, no chems, no nasties, no problems!!!
