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Little River Cooperative

Vicks Plant

$10.00 USD
$10.00 USD
Sale Sold out

Vicks Plant
Plectranthus tomentosa

days to maturity:
plant spacing: 1 plant every 3 feet
sunlight requirements: 6-14 hours
look out for: none
harvest notes: easy to grow, NOT edible
perennial

Vicks plant is one of our most ‘house-planty’ offerings because its super hearty, tolerates very deep shade and can thrive in a pot long term.

Vicks plant can be used for either to make your own version of Vicks Vapor Rub, or as a replacement of it. The leaves can be steeped in boiling water, vaporizing the volatile oils. The steam is then inhaled, helping to clear nasal and respiratory passages. The leaves can also be applied as a poultice or prepared as an ointment. The strong methol aroma of Vicks plant is also great for making your own mosquito repellents. 

Theres lots of confusion online about the difference between Vicks plant and its close relative “cuban oregano” (which we also sell, in 3 different colors) but one sniff of the two plants and you’ll be able to tell them apart straight away. Cuban oregano has much larger leaves that aren’t cupped upwards and are less fleshy, and they smell like oregano. Vicks plant leaves are very small, extra fuzzy and they smell exactly like Vicks vapor rub from the store. 

Vicks plant is a succulent, so it likes cactus-like growing conditions, including well draining soil and not much water. When you do water it, try to water the base of the plant and not get the leaves too wet. If grown in the shade your plant will stretch out and become more wild and sprawling looking, and if you put it in full sun it’ll grow more dense and compact. This plant is very easy to propagate from cuttings so if you want to share it with friends or make yourself a bunch of plants just stick a green stem cutting in water in the shade and in a week or 2 it will sprout roots. 

Materials

All of our plants are produced using OMRI certified organic materials (potting mix, fertilizer & pesticides) however our nursery is not certified organic. Plants are shipped in compostable peat moss pots and we use heirloom & organic seeds whenever possible.

Shipping & Returns

We ship plant orders every Monday. Due to the nature of shipping plants we only offer expedited shipping for our live plant orders. Our returns & exchanges policy is also quite strict since its hard to control the quality of a plant once it leaves our facility, however we do our very best to make sure that each and every customer is satisfied with their plants. Read more about our policies here. 

Size

All of our plants are potted in 4" pots and their foliage size varies based on how large the plant is naturally when its root ball is the correct size for the pot. If a plant is too tall for our shipping box we may prune it to fit (bonus: many plants do better after being pruned since they make bushier growth). We do our very best to ship all of our plants in the "sweet spot" of maturity however so long as the roots have colonized the pot we will consider a plant mature enough to ship.

Care Instructions

When you receive your plant its critical to get it out of its box and into the light the day it arrives. It will also want to be removed from its compostable plastic wrapping and given fresh water to drink. Keep in mind, this plant was grown in the tropical humid climate of South Florida, so if it's terribly cold or dry where you are it'll need to be hardened off before planting outdoors. Visit our care instructions page for more thorough info about caring for your new plant friend.

  • What Our Customers Have to Say:

    This is a great, local organization with really knowledgeable & friendly staff. They make gardening easy and accessible, and I've purchased many high quality plants and equipment from them.
    -Kate Black (5 star google review)

  • And Another One:

    How lucky we are to have a resource like Little River Cooperative here in Miami, not only for the access they offer to a great selection of plants and produce, but also for the knowledge they provide and the sense of community they foster!
    -Nick Vagnoni (5 star google review)