In temperate climates, this fast-growing perennial is often grown as an annual.
It is a fast-growing plant that generally flowers within a few weeks when planted from a nursery start.
Scaredy Cat Plant Care
This plant thrives in full sun and dry soil.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Space plants about two feet apart.
Scaredy cat plant has no notable pest or disease issues.
Too much shade will make plants leggy and reduce flowering.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Water
Thisdrought-tolerant plantdoesn’t need supplemental watering except when summer temperatures rise.
Water as you wouldsucculent plants, such assedums.
It has no preference for humidity, but like most mints, it thrives in relatively arid conditions.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
In regions where it grows as a perennial, feeding should be withheld in the winter months.
Deadheading spent flowers will help stimulate more blossoms and extend the overall bloom period.
you might do it at any time during the growing season.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Growing in containers allows you to move the plant around to experiment with its possible animal-repellant qualities.
However, this is not a plant that makes a good permanent indoor houseplant due to its unpleasant odor.
In this case, repotting should be done every two or three years.
The fleshy succulent-like leaves of the scaredy cat plant indicate its drought tolerance.squirrelbasket/ Flickr /CC BY 2.0
In borderline climates, scaredy cat plants sometimes survive winters if covered with mulch for the winter.
Otherwise, simply pull the plants from the ground and discard them in the fall after they die back.
And you’ll want to place it in a location where its unpleasant aroma won’t be a problem.
The scaredy cat plant has attractive violet blue flower spikes and fleshy oval leaves.Nancy/ Flickr /CC BY 2.0
Cutting back the stems regularly can help keep the plant full and bushy.
The smell is sometimes likened to dog urine, skunk, or eucalyptus.
In 2018, thePlectranthusgenus was more narrowly defined, andP.
North Carolina State Extension.
