Question
I recently bought this lovely plant at our local Orchard's Supply.  It is beautiful, and I want to keep it beautiful.   As for NOW, I have it indoors in a large ceramic pot (about 18")  It seems to be growing....but hen I looked on the web, it says it could be outdoors.   What to do?   Will it only grow taller?   bushier?  flowers?   berries?  Is the pot big enough for the winter.   I live a few blocks from the beach, and we don't get too much hard frost (Santa Cruz, CA).   I'm trying to buy another for a friend; but now I'm told the "supplier" doesn't have more.   Are they seasonal?  Can I ever get "baby plants" from this one?   Anxious for help in keeping "HERSHEY"  healthy.   Thanks,   Reina

Answer
Reina,

There are many varieties of pseuderanthemum but I suspect yours is pseuderanthemum altum since that is the one known as Chocolate plant. An 18" pot may be too large unless the pot is fairly full of plant.  Because the days are shorter during the winter the plant will not do a lot of growing and too large a pot could mean you will overwater it so it will have a hard time drying out between waterings. It cannot stand to be constantly wet so be very careful not to water it if the soil does not feel dry. Pseuderanthemum alatum need partial shade to full shade with a moist well-drained soil mix. It should be in a soil mixture consisting of 1 part peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sand or perlite. The plants are watered and then allowed to dry slightly, but they are never allowed to dry completely. The pot must have a drain hole with a drain tray under it. If it does not you need to move it to a plastic pot and set that inside the ceramic pot so you can always empty excess water out of the ceramic pot. The soil should be moist but it should not sit in a tray of standing water. Plants are fertilized on a weekly basis using a balanced fertilizer diluted to ?the strength recommended on the label. During the winter months, water is restricted to about once a week and the plants are not fertilized during this period.

From early summer to fall, the plants are adorned with purple flowers on 18-inch (45 cm) tall racemes. Individual flowers are up to 1.5 inches (4 cm) across. Very showy!  Chocolate Plant, is a low growing herb native to Mexico and Central America. The coppery-brown leaves with silver blotches along the midrib are broadly ovate with winged petioles. Leaves will reach up to 6 inches (15 cm) long by 4.5 inches (11 cm) wide. Plants only reach 10 inches (25 cm) tall. In USDA zone 7, they are treated as annuals. In more tropical areas they may be perienials. They would be happier with a temperature drop at night and air moving if kept indoors all the time.
If kept outdoors you would need to bring it into the garage for the night when temperatures drop below 40 degrees.

If you have more questions write again. Good luck.

Darlene