Chocolate Plant (Pseuderanthemum alatum) Care: Indoor/Outdoor, Soil, Flowers

Your "Hershey" is Pseuderanthemum alatum (Chocolate Plant), a low-growing herb with coppery-silver leaves and purple flower spikes.

Pot Size Alert

18-inch pot may be too large for winter—slow growth + big pot = overwatering risk. Keep soil barely moist, not wet.

Soil Mix

1 part peat : 2 parts loam : 1 part sand/perlite. Must drain perfectly.

Light & Temperature

• Partial to full shade. Morning/late sun OK.
• Above 40°F. In Santa Cruz, bring to garage on cold nights.
• Indoors: needs night temp drop and air movement.

Flowers & Growth

Summer–fall: 18-inch purple racemes, 1.5-inch flowers. Reaches 10 inches tall, bushy. Perennial in tropics; annual in Zone 7.

Propagation

Cuttings root easily. Share with your friend!

Fertilizer

Weekly balanced fertilizer at ½ strength (growing season). Stop in winter. Water weekly in winter.

With the right pot, soil, and light, Hershey will thrive.