'Mike's Fuzzy Wuzzy': another stellar groundcover

Last month, I introduced you to one of my favorite companion plants for succulents, a groundcover from Europe called Artemisia pedemontana (read this post for details). Today, I want to show you another companion plant/groundcover that is becoming a staple in my garden, Plectranthus neochilus ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ — a fun name for a cool plant:

Plectranthus neochilus in Kyle’s garden, the variegated form ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ on the right and the all-green species on the left (actually, ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ losing its fuzzy wuzzy)

Like so many awesome plants, ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ was originally introduced by San Marcos Growers (SMG), the legendary Santa Barbara wholesale nursery that closed its doors earlier this year. For 40+ years, SMG was a reliable source for special plants; through introductions like ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’, its legacy will live on.

Here’s what the SMG website says about ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’:

A perennial, aromatic, succulent herb, which grows as a ground-hugging mat under 1 foot tall (a little taller in shade or when well-watered) with rounded slightly scalloped gray-green foliage with cream margins and deep blue and purple flowers that rise 3 to 6 inches above the foliage from spring.

We received this variegated plant from Mike Tully of Terra Sol Garden Center in Santa Barbara who told us he found it at Michael Kartuz’s nursery Kartuz Greenhouses. To honor both men we christened it "Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy" and we have grown it since 2012 using this name.

The species, Plectranthus neochilus, is native to dry bushlands and rocky woodlands in southern Africa. It goes by a number of common names, including lobster bush, fly bush, or mosquito bush. I’m surprised that none of these names allude to the pungent smell of its leaves, which is remarkably similar to cannabis. (It’s the terpenes.)

Enough of the boring botanical details. If you want to dive deeper, go to the San Marcos Growers website.

Over time, Plectranthus neochilus ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ forms a dense clump that is quite effective at suppressing weeds. It’s particularly striking in full bloom, like here in Bay Area artist and designer Mat McGrath’s spectacular garden in Rodeo:

Plectranthus neochilus, in full bloom in Mat McGrath’s garden

I bought my first ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ in 2015, but let it revert to all-green and eventually removed it. My current plantings came from my friend Kyle. I honestly can’t remember how many cuttings Kyle gave me — maybe five? — but I have it growing in multiple spots now. Plectranthus neochilus, like all plectranthus and the related coleus, is easy to propagate: simply cut or pinch off a piece and stick it in moist soil.

Here’s ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ in the L-shaped sidewalk bed in front of our house, planted a year ago from one cutting:

Plectranthus neochilus ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ in front of Agave yucuanensis (also from San Marcos)

A smaller clump in front of Hechtia epigyna

This start of a clump gets virtually no water, which explains its size, but it still looks good

Here’s the biggest clump in the front yard, surrounded by aloes, agaves, cacti, and even a banksia (on the left, behind Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’):

Close-up of ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ leaves

In the spring, I planted some ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ in the backyard as well. I bet it’ll be three times as wide this time next year.

Agave vilmoriniana ‘Stained Glass’ and Paleoagave bracteata at the top

‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ is surrounded by two other groundcovers whose performance has been a wonderful surprise (as in: not only have they not died during our hot summer, they have downright thrived)

They are Dichondra repens (green) and Dichondra sericea (silver). Their common name is ponysfoot, presumably because their leaves resemble miniature hooves? Green Acres in Sacramento has both of them in 4" pots. I bought several and split each one in two.

The biggest problem with ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’, if you want to call it that, is that a small percentage of leaves revert from their variegated form to all-green. The all-green leaves are more vigorous and will eventually crowd out the variegated leaves if you let them (the mistake I made years ago). What I do now is simply pinch off any green leaves I see, as I see them. It takes no time at all and ensures that your clump retains its variegation.

Plectranthus neochilus ‘Mike’s Fuzzy Wuzzy’ is tough and non-demanding, which makes it an ideal companion plant to succulents. And if the two dichondras in the backyard continue to perform well, they, too, will make it onto my list of recommended plants.

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