Swedish Ivy

Plectranthus verticillatus

Also known as Plectranthus verticillatus, Swedish Begonia, Whorled Plectranthus

Plantae›Lamiaceae

Glossy scalloped leaves on fast-trailing stems; pet-safe and effortless. Grown emersed with its roots in the tank water, it works as a living biofilter — pulling up nitrate while the foliage stays in the air.

Terrestrial / emersed plant

Grown with its roots in the tank water and its leaves in the air: a living nitrate filter, not a submerged aquarium plant. Give it bright indirect light; no aquarium CO₂ or substrate needed.

Where it's from

Native to Cape Provinces, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique and Northern Provinces

Recorded as introduced in El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, India and 7 more places

At a glance

Light: Bright indirect
Growth: Fast
Placement: Emersed — roots in water, leaves in air
Temp: 64–82°F; 18–28°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
GH: 36–357 ppm; 2–20 dGH

Member photos

Photos are added when members log a tank with this species and upload a photo in their tank journal. Add your own tank to contribute.

No photos yet — add a tank with Swedish Ivy to be the first!

Legality

No state or federal restrictions on record.

Not legal advice, and possibly incomplete or out of date. Rules vary by state and change over time; check with your state wildlife or agriculture agency before buying, keeping or shipping it.

The care information here is written with AI help, so it can contain mistakes. Spot one? Tell us and we'll fix it. Native range: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) (CC BY 4.0).