The plant of the incense it is one of the most popular. Its small variegated leaves, as well as the intense aroma they give off, in addition to its easy cultivation and maintenance make it one of the most used to decorate the home.
Would you like to know everything about her? Don't miss this special. And if you want a plant go ahead and buy it.
Characteristics of the incense plant
Image - Onlineplantguide.com
The incense plant, whose scientific name is Plectranthus coleoides 'Marginatus', is native to India. It belongs to the botanical family Lamiaceae, such as Salvia or Teucrium. It can reach a height of 50 to 60 centimeters, making it perfect to have in a pot. Its leaves are small, 2-3cm long, green with white edges, slightly jagged.
How is the incense flower?
The flowers grow in clusters, and are pale lilac or white. These have no ornamental value, since they are very small. But if you see that it blooms, you should know that this is usually an unequivocal sign that it is very well cared for.
Its growth rate is rapid, so it can fill a hanging pot in a matter of one to two years. But this should not worry us too much, since its root system is not invasive.
What are the care of the incense plant?
To have a healthy incense plant, we just have to take into account the following:
Location
Being a plant of tropical origin, it does not resist cold, but it does adapts very well to living inside the home as long as we place it in a room where a lot of natural light enters.
Irrigation
Frequent in summer, and somewhat rarer during the rest of the year. We have to prevent the land from getting flooded, so for this we must check the humidity before watering again. Thus, we can use the following:
- Use a moisture meter: introducing it in several different points to know with certainty how wet the earth is.
- Introduce a thin wooden stick (like those used in Japanese restaurants): If it comes out practically clean when it is extracted, it is because the earth is dry and, therefore, it can be watered.
- Weigh the pot: as it does not weigh the same right after watering and after a few days, we can weigh the pot to know when it is time to water.
Important: if we have a plate underneath, we have to remove the excess water 15-20 minutes after having watered, since otherwise the roots would rot.
substrate for the Plectranthus coleoides 'Marginatus'
It must have good drainage. We can use universal growing medium mixed with 30% perlite, and put a first layer of expanded clay balls so that the water drains more quickly.
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Throughout the growing season, that is, in spring and summer, we must fertilize using organic fertilizers, like guano for example, which has a rapid effectiveness. Of course, even if it is organic, we have to follow the instructions specified on the packaging. Thus, the care that we provide to the incense will be the most appropriate.
Pruning
To avoid the possible appearance of pests, fungi or bacteria, we must remove the leaves and withered flowers. Also, in spring we have to lower the height, more or less in half. In this way, we will force it to take out new, healthier and stronger shoots.
Multiplication
The fastest way to get new copies is multiplying it by cuttings, in spring. We cut some stems, plant them in a pot with equal parts peat and sand substrate, and water.
If all goes well, they will root soon, in about two weeks.
Problems that incense can have
Image - Todohuertoyjardin.es
Although it is a very resistant plant, it can be affected by some pests or have some problems, which are:
Pests
If we have it abroad, we must be very careful with snails and slugs. Mollusks love the young leaves of plants, including those of incense, so we have to keep an eye on them and act when they start to cause harm.
Management
If we water excessively, fungi may appear, such as mildew (known as gray mold, because of the 'dust' it leaves on the leaves) or Phytophthora. In the event that it occurs, we must act quickly, treating the plant with systemic fungicides.
However, the best cure is prevention, either with copper or sulfur. But if we have pets we have to keep them away from these products, as they can cause serious health problems. In addition, we have to avoid overwatering.
Problems
- Lack of water: when the leaves turn yellow and fall, we have to increase the frequency of watering.
- Excess of water: When the stems and leaves rot, we have to cut the affected parts, remove the plant from the pot and wrap the root ball with absorbent paper overnight. The next day, we will plant it in the pot and treat it with fungicide.
Incense plant curiosities
Incense is a plant that we knew in Spain thanks to the Arab merchants of the Taifa era. Very soon we began to consider it a symbol of good omen, probably because of its pleasant aroma.
But what we like so much, others cannot bear it, like mosquitoes, which move away as soon as they get close to it. For this reason, it is an excellent anti-mosquito plant.
From this link you can buy incense plants. Do not miss it!!
And with this we end. What do you think?
good! I did not know her. Thank you
Thanks to you 🙂
very bom. Obrigado.
Thanks to you 🙂.
very good information, thank you !!
Thanks to you 🙂
hello..very good..thank you very much.
Hi uge.
We are glad you liked it.
A greeting.
Good morning, I still do not understand this plant .. I bought it twice and the stems turn black and it weakens and is without leaves .. Please tell me what is wrong with it? Thank you
Hello Romina.
How often do you water it? It is important to control watering and water only when the soil is dry.
On the other hand, if you have a plate underneath, you have to remove the excess water ten minutes after watering.
A greeting.
I have had an incense plant for 4-5 years. But not inside the house. It gets ugly right away if I enter it. Which is a shame for its beautiful scent. I put it on the balcony. Both in winter and in summer. It is very resistant as long as it is outside.
Hello, it was beautiful, I pruned it at the end of the summer because I saw that the stems were hollow ...
I had problems with geraniums and the famous butterflies or caterpillars ...
Could it be that they have also attacked the incense plant?
If so, I disinfect it.
I threw the geraniums and I do not wantomas but I want to keep this one
Hello!! The page is very good, I just want to know if this plant goes in the shade or if it supports direct sun?
Hello Elena.
You can put it in the sun or in semi-shade, but it will grow better the more light it has 🙂
A greeting.
My incense plant has replaced the usual white edge of its leaves with a pinkish color. The plant is outside and appears healthy and with recent shoots.
Hello Andrea.
You may be feeling the cold for the first time. Many plants react in this way when they have never been exposed to low temperatures before.
If it is otherwise fine, the only thing I would recommend is to protect it a little from the cold, putting it, for example, behind taller plants.
In the event that this is not the reason, please write to us again and we will tell you.
A greeting.
Beautifull! I have 2 at home. They have something to do with boswellias, where is the incense extracted? Do they have any medicinal properties?
Hello Gabriela.
They are two different plants 🙂, but yes, incense is extracted from both by distilling its resin.
No, Plectranthus has no medicinal properties, beyond those of incense itself (it improves mood).
A greeting.
Hi! The leaves of my incense plant are turning yellow and they end up falling off. Follow your advice, and check that it does not have plague, it is indoors, but remains the same!
Hi Luis.
I recommend you take it out. Incense does not quite like the interior.
If you can't get it out, then I recommend watering it little, once or twice a week.
A greeting.
Hello, I have a pkanta of incense which the guides are starting to dry and the leaves turn brown until they finally fall, I water it once or twice a week and sprinkle water with a dispenser on the leaves (not much, just to moisten)
So I don't know what I'm doing wrong 🙁
Please help
Hello Karen.
I recommend you stop spraying it with water, as sometimes this can be more harmful than beneficial as the water clogs the pores of the leaves, preventing it from breathing.
A greeting.
Hello, they gave me an incense, this in a pot, it was with many bush-type leaves, as the days went by, it was left with some stems and leaves ... what am I doing wrong?
Hello Irene.
How often do you water it? If the soil is damp - not only the superficial one that dries quickly, but also the one that cannot be seen with the naked eye - and remains that way for a long time, the roots rot. To avoid this, I recommend you check the humidity before watering, inserting a thin wooden stick or using a digital humidity meter that you will find in any nursery.
A greeting.
My experience with incense is that after two years the roots tend to age and the plant dies, unless it is left free and the branches take root as it grows. This means that new cuttings or shoots with roots should be planted in order not to lose the plant. I have it outside, on land, with semi-shadow Something similar happens to me with the silk flower (hoya).
Very good information thank you, now I will put it into practice if I recover it since it is a plant that I like a lot?
Thank you for your words. That goes well with your plant 🙂
Hi! I want to buy an incense plant for my office desk. This site does not receive natural light but you could take it out to the balcony at night and receive all the sun in the morning. Do you think that weather would resist?
Hello Sofia.
It has possibilities, yes 🙂
By trying, nothing is lost.
In any case, the ideal would be to always leave it in the same place.
A greeting.
Hello, thanks for the information. My incense plant was in the sun all the time, so it started to take a lilac tone, so I have removed it from direct sun, but, the strange thing is that I planted some cuttings of the plant in other pots, and the color is different, the leaves are more intense green, and whiter, with some sections where the leaves are totally green, I am not worried about the coloration, because the plants are fine, but I would like to know what is due. Thank you.
Hi Lourdes.
They may receive a little less or a little more light. Although the difference is minimal, hardly noticeable, for plants it can mean a lot (a change in the color of the leaves, longer or more compact growth, etc.).
Anyway, as long as they're fine, no problem 🙂
A greeting.
My ivy or one in particular its leaves are yellowing and if I think it is due to little watering ... a question or two because when a person buys the plant that they come wrapped in a plastic bag and they are only with sand, their ivy leaves were moisture larger and a more intense green. And when passing it in a pot, its leaves now grow smaller and no longer so green? And the other query in which way do I add iron and magnesium to the potting soil? Thank you .. I look forward to your response.
Hello Olga,
Could it be that the sun hits them at some point? Ivy is a plant that does not like to receive direct sunlight.
You have to water it from time to time, preventing the soil from drying out completely. Here you have his token.
With regard to iron and magnesium, fertilizing them in spring and summer with guano for example will not be necessary. If you have acidophilic plants (maples, camellia, azalea, etc.) then it will be better to fertilize them with a specific fertilizer for these plants.
regards
Hello good! My query: they gave me a small piece that "in theory" was incense, a little plant had already been made and with long strips like incense; But it is all green, it does not have the white that I see in the others (incense). Is it normal or are there several types of incense? ? I am looking forward to your response. Greetings
Hello Micaela.
Yes, it is normal, do not worry. Surely yours is of the type species, that is, the Plectranthus coleoides.
Regards!
Hello, I have an incense plant with several years already, for the first time it has a plague of very small and green caterpillars, I have cleaned all the leaves that were eaten and I have even killed several but I do not know with which fungicide to treat it, it makes me sad see her like this, she's so beautiful.
Hello Sonia.
I tell you, fungicides eliminate (or well, they try rather - they are difficult microorganisms to eradicate - hehe) fungi. To eliminate the caterpillars, it is better to use an insecticide, such as Cypermethrin.
If you have questions, tell us.
Greetings.
Hello to my incense the leaves fell off and this is only the stem. Can it be recovered? How i do it
Hello, ximena.
Ugh, it's difficult. First, scratch a little with your nail on the stem to see if it is green. If it is, you should only water when the soil is dry.
In the event that it is brown or brittle, there is nothing to do.
Greetings.
They gave me a plant and thanks to their advice I am going to leave it inside in a place that will give it a lot of light and heat because it is winter
Thank you
Best of luck with your incense plant, Alice.
If you have any questions, contact us 🙂
Regards!
Thank you very much.
Thanks to you, Alejo.
They can be kept inside
?
Hi Marita.
We do not recommend it, but if the temperatures drop below 0 degrees in winter, you should protect it indoors. Keep it away from drafts, and in a bright room.
Greetings.
Hi! Thanks for the info.
Could it be that the air conditioning affects you indoors? Thanks
Hello Marcela.
Thanks. Yes, air conditioning and heating affect plants a lot, as it dries them out.
Greetings.
Very interesting
Hi Norma.
Thank you! 🙂
Hello, I like incense a lot and I already got a plant and I also have incense, which is all green and I have had it for many years and it reproduces a lot.
Hello Mary.
Frankincense is a very beautiful and simple plant. Thanks for comment!
3 years ago I had this plant, I put it in the front garden and it has always been beautiful, it grows a lot, it has never been ugly, with one side it is the same as at the beginning and its roots as if they spread throughout the garden, I love the aroma
Hi Viviana.
Thank you very much for commenting. Without a doubt, incense is a very beautiful plant.
Greetings.
I have an incense plant
And the leaves are falling, it is normal for it to happen
Hello Elda.
If it's the first week you have it, yes. But check the soil, as it can be very wet.
Regards!
They can be planted wherever there is strong summer sun
Hi Ines.
When grown in places where the sun beats down strongly in summer, it is preferable to be in shade.
Greetings.
Very good all your teaching and recommendations thank you
Thanks to you.
A few years ago I planted a small branch of incense, now it is very beautiful and large, I live in an area that even hail falls, it is very cold, sometimes the sun is good, I put it under a gutter so that water falls on it, it even flowered and it is very large and beautiful ( don't tell anyone but I talk to her and treat her with a lot of love, I tell her baby and my precious and curiously only I can cut her branches if someone else cuts her she withers and the flowers start to fall) she's beautiful.
We are very happy that it is so 🙂
excellent explanation very understandable and easy to practice. thank you very much
Thank you very much, Gloria.
i love the insincio plant i have one i actually love plants
Yes, it is certainly very pretty. Thank you Fabiana for commenting.