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 URL 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. Seed appears on RHS only among opened Swedish-named pages.
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).
Do not average Lancaster's 1 to 4 inches with UNL/UMD tip lengths or Illinois's 3 to 6 inches. Do not average Lancaster's week with UF's within a month.
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
- Averaging cutting lengths across Lancaster, UNL, UMD, and Illinois. Quote each source's range.
- Averaging Lancaster “as little as a week” with UF “within a month.”
- Treating English ivy (Hedera) or lawn Glechoma methods as this page.
- Merging University of Nevada's Creeping Charlie / Plectranthus purpuratus water note as if it were P. verticillatus identity.
- Making seed a primary indoor H2. RHS names seed at 19–24°C when ripe; U.S. extensions opened here do not.
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.