Swedish ivy is Plectranthus verticillatus in the mint family (Lamiaceae). RHS accepts that name and marks Plectranthus australis as misapplied. Commerce and older extensions (UF/IFAS, Illinois) still print P. australis. UMD and UCANR Master Gardeners print P. verticillatus. Quote the source binomial; same plant either way.
This soft-stemmed houseplant is a different plant from English ivy (Hedera) and from lawn ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea). NCSU also applies the common name Swedish ivy to other Plectranthus species, so the binomial matters.
UF/IFAS, UNL, Nebraska Lancaster, Illinois, and RHS name stem or stem-tip cuttings in rooting media as the home default. UMD and UCANR name water. Illinois adds leaf-bud cuttings when material is limited. Of these sources, only RHS names seed.
Indoor / hanging-basket focus.
For mix, see soil propagation. Water lives on water propagation.
Stem cuttings in media
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions (as P. australis): propagate from rooted stem cuttings; stem tip cuttings root within a month in clean rooting media. Tip cuttings also salvage a plant with root rot; dispose of the diseased parent.
UNL Extension Circular G1853: Swedish ivy by stem cuttings (sections of stems with leaves); three or four leaves for best rooting. Tip cuttings generally 3 to 5 inches, removed just below a leaf.
Nebraska Extension Lancaster: Swedish ivy among the easiest; stem tip cuttings 1 to 4 inches for ivy-like plants; cut just below a leaf; strip lower leaves, keep at least two at the tip; moist rooting medium under plastic in warm, subdued light. May take as little as a week with Swedish ivy, wandering Jew, and coleus.
Illinois Extension marks Swedish ivy (as P. australis) for stem cuttings. The cuttings how-to: usually 3 to 6 inches, at least two nodes; insert 1 to 3 inches; optional hormone; plastic bag; bright light, not direct sun; transplant when roots are about one inch.
RHS: stem-tip cuttings any time of year (softwood).
Cutting lengths and rooting times differ by source.
Stem cuttings in water
UMD Maryland Grows: Swedish ivy (P. verticillatus) roots from stem cuttings in clean tap water. Cut a 3 to 5 inch stem with at least one node and tip leaves; no submerged leaves; bright light, not direct sun; about 70°F; change water at least twice a week or when cloudy. After roots form, wait another week or two, then pot in a small well-draining container; keep the medium moist until new leaf initiation, then water about once each week.
UCCE Master Gardeners San Luis Obispo: stems root easily in the ground or in water.
Illinois's general propagation page does not recommend water rooting; water roots are often weak and less adapted to potting mix. Keep that caution next to UMD's endorsement rather than erasing either.
Leaf-bud cuttings
Illinois's propagation table marks Swedish ivy A and C: stem cuttings and leaf-bud cuttings. Leaf-bud means a leaf blade plus petiole plus a stem portion with a bud, useful when plant material is limited. UNL describes the general leaf-bud procedure (1 to 1½ inch stem piece; bud about ½ inch below the surface) with English ivy as the easy example, not a Swedish-specific timing. Brief option only; not equal to the two stem methods above.
Common mistakes
- Expecting one cutting length from Lancaster, UNL, UMD, and Illinois. Quote each source's range.
- Expecting one rooting time. Lancaster and UF describe different speeds.
- Using English ivy (Hedera) or lawn Glechoma methods on this plant.
- Merging University of Nevada's Creeping Charlie / Plectranthus purpuratus water note as if it were P. verticillatus identity.
- Treating seed as the main indoor method. RHS names seed when ripe, and the U.S. extensions don't.
People also ask
Is Swedish ivy real ivy?
No. Extensions place it in Plectranthus (mint family). Hedera English ivy is a different plant.
Media or water?
UF stresses clean rooting media and roots within a month. UMD and UCANR support water for this plant. Illinois prefers media in general. Both paths are named; do not collapse them into one recipe.
How long is the cutting?
UMD: 3 to 5 inches for water. UNL tip cuttings: generally 3 to 5 inches. Lancaster: 1 to 4 inches. Illinois general stem: 3 to 6 inches. Not one averaged length.