= Pycnostachys urticifolia
Despite this beautiful and versitile garden shrub with the most amazing cobalt blue flowers, Coleus livingstonei (Hedgehog Sage,Blue Boys or Ystervarksalie) is neither well known nor widely grown.
Besides its beauty, it is also a wildlife friendly plant, attracting bees and butterflies.
Although a little frost tender, if planted in a sheltered spot it will survive the Gauteng winters with little mishap, much like Plectranthus (Spurflowers) do.
Family: LAMIACEAE (Mint family)
Name Derivation:
- Coleus from the Greek word ‘kolos’ and translates to ‘sheath’.
- The genus Coleus was not used for many years but revived in 2019w when members of the Plectranthus genus needed to be moved to a seperate genus.
- livingstonei honours the missionary and explorer David Livingstone who collected seeds of this palnt and sent them to Kew.
- When it was decided that this specie should be moved to the Coleus genus it was found there was already a Colius urticifolia, hence the new spiecie name.
Common Names:
- Hedgehog Sage, Blue Boys (Eng), ystervarksalie (Afr), gogodza (Ven), amadata and unkungwini (Zul).
Features of Coleus livingstonei
Form: A many branched, upright or rounded shrub.
Size: 1 – 2 m (2.5) by 1 – 1.5 m.
Stem and Bark:
- Mostly single stem but branched from close to the base.
- Stems are sparsely hairy.
Thorns: No thorns.
Foliage:
- Evergreen, sometimes partly deciduous.
- Has simple, green, ovate leaves with scalloped margins.
- Leaves are paired on opposite sides of the stems.
- Crushed leaves are fragrant.
Shrubs are typically upright but branched from close to ground level.
The flowers of Coleus livingstonei are aranged aruond the flower spike and open progressively from its base upwards,
A single Coleus livingstonei flower showing its sage-like shape.
Flowers:
- Stunning cobalt blue flowers are borne on round, pyramid like flower spikes.
- Flowers open in rows around the cone together, starting from the base of the spike and progressively opening towards the terminal point.
- Usually, two or three rows of flowers open at any time, with more showing their colour before opening.
- As the older flowers die and drop off, they leave reddish spines at their base on the cone.
- The spiky ‘cones’ remain on the plant long after the flowers have finished and give rise to the Afrikaans name ‘ystervarksalie’ (Porcupine Salvia).
- New flower spikes constantly form during the flowering period.
Colour: Cobalt blue, rarely white.
Flowering Months: Mar to Aug, but frost may stop the flowering.
Fragrance: Not fragrant, but crushed leaves are.
Fruit: Seeds are contained within a capsule within the calyx.
Growing Coleus livingstonei
In the Garden:
- Coleus livinstonei is an attractive plant suitable for the back of informal borders or beneath trees.
- It is frost tender and may be cut back if exposed to too much cold.
- It may be planted individually but looks best when planted in groups of three or more plants.
- It is equally at home in full sun or dappled shade beneath trees, but tends to be smaller and more compact in full sun.
- It is a good pot plant.
- A wildlife friendly shrub, attracting insects, bees and butterflies.
- A quick growing shrub, flowering within the first year of been planted out.
Coleus livinstonei flowering beautifully beneath trees iin the Walter Sisulu National Botanical gardens.
The leaves of Coleus livingstonei are quite large, ovate, dark green above with toothed margins.
A Coleus livingstonei shrub in flower in mid-may.
Soil Needs: Plant in garden loam with compost, organic 2:3:2 and bonemeal.
Care:
- A low maintenance plant.
- Mulch with a layer of compost once or twice a year and feed with organic 2:3:2
- Plant in a sheltered position.
- Prune back in spring after the threat of frost is past.
Cold Hardiness: Semi-Hardy
Water Requirements:
- Quite drought hardy but thrives on regular water in summer.
- Water-wise.
Light Requirements: Sun or partial shade.
Roots: The roots are not aggressive.
Space Requirements:
- Plant 1.5m to 2m apart.
- Plant 1m apart form a form a thicket.
Ecology of Coleus livingstonei
Birds:
- Insectivorous birds will come to the tree for insects that visit the flowers.
Bees:
- The bees visit the flowers to collect nectar.
Butterflies and Other Insects:
- Flowers are visited by many insects and adult butterflies.
- Host plant to the larva of the Gaudy Commodore
- Also larval host of 1 moth species.
Medicinal:
- Not known for medicinal properties.
Poisonous: Not poisonous.
Notes of interest:
- Coleus livingstonei is grown in gardens in the USA where it is called Witches Hat.
Natural Distribution:
- Occurs naturally in the Esw, M, L, G and Zim.
- North of southern Africa its range extends into Malawi.
Natural Habitat:
- In bushveld, grasslands and in forest margins.
- Often in marshy conditions or along stream banks.
Coleus livinstonei is a host plant for the Gaudy Commodore.
Coleus livinstonei flowering in the nursery at the end of June.
Refernces:
Kondlo. Mandisa “Coleus livingstonei” 2009 PlantZAfrica Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, updated: 2020 Notten, Alice, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Link: http://pza.sanbi.org/coleus-livingstonei Referenced 14/04/2023.
Schmidt, E, Lotter M Cleland W “Trees and Shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park 2002 Jacana Johannesburg
Wikipedia “Coleus livingstonei” Link https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coleus_livingstonei
Woodhall, Steve “Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa” 2nd ed 2020 Struik Nature
© Malcolm Dee Hepplewhite & Witkoppen Wildflower Nursery, (Text and Photographs) 2012 & 2023.