Everyone knows the signature scent of patchouli. The scent of this popular herb is beloved all around the world. For centuries, its essential oils have fragranced perfumes and incense. People also appreciate it for its ability to repel insects.
You can actually grow this herb in your own backyard, though you’ll probably have to cultivate it each year as an annual. It’s a tropical herb, native to Southeast Asia, that’s only hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11.
That said, it’s a member of the mint family, so it’s not too challenging. Read on to discover more about planting, growing, and caring for patchouli. You’ll be creating your own homemade incense in no time.
Pogostemon cablin Overview
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What Is It?
Patchouli is a tropical herb in the mint family, known for its fragrant essential oil, which is commonly used in perfumes, incense, aromatherapy, and even to repel mosquitos.
Though it looks somewhat similar to its mint cousins, this tropical perennial is native to hot, humid environments and wouldn’t survive the winter in areas where spearmint would otherwise take over an in-ground garden.
Characteristics
This pungent herb is a perennial, though it would function as an annual for growers in most of the United States. It has attractive green foliage, maturing to about three feet tall and wide, and it produces light purple blooms.
You can grow patchouli in pots, and it doesn’t need a lot of sunlight. It’s a fairly versatile and low-maintenance plant that people are drawn to for the leaves’ signature scent.
Native Area
Patchouli is native to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other islands within Southeast Asia. Though it’s a member of the mint family, this herb is far more tropical than the mint species often grown in the temperate United States.
This tropical perennial grows naturally in hot, humid conditions, with lots of precipitation. In its native habitat, patchouli would never normally experience frost, hardy to only USDA zones 10 and 11.
Planting
Patchouli can be grown in the ground or in containers. You can purchase young patchouli plants or start them from seed. Gardeners in cooler regions may want to grow them in a pot or as part of a container arrangement.
Spring is the ideal time for both transplanting and starting seeds. This herb prefers partial shade. Choose a location where it will be shaded for most of the day, especially from the midday sun.
Transplanting
To transplant patchouli into the garden, choose a location that receives just a few hours of sun per day. Dig a hole that’s larger than the root ball, place the plant in it, and backfill with soil. Water in the plant thoroughly.
This herb also makes a great annual container option. Transplant it in pots in a similar manner, placing it in a hole slightly larger than the root ball and watering it in. Be sure to plant in a container with excellent drainage.
Growing from Seed
You can grow patchouli from seed, which is best attempted in spring. Prepare seed starting trays with a quality seed starting mix. Moisten the mix, and lightly sprinkle the seeds on it. Apply a very fine layer of mix on top of the seeds.
Keep the mix moist with the help of humidity domes or plastic bags. These seeds do not like to dry out. They will take a few weeks to germinate, and as soon as they do, make sure they are receiving as much light as possible.
Thin patchouli seedlings as they grow. Do not transplant them outdoors until night temperatures are consistently above 60°F (16°C).
How to Grow
Patchouli is a low-maintenance herb to grow in the garden. It doesn’t need an enormous amount of sunlight, it’s not too picky about soil, and it withstands extreme heat. If you’re in a hot, humid region, growing this perennial herb will be a breeze.
In other areas, growing it as an annual is fairly simple, too. It may not thrive in more arid climates and in cooler regions, but you can still grow a fair amount before summer ends.
Light
Patchouli does not appreciate the full sun exposure that most other mints prefer. Instead, this plant thrives when provided with about 2-6 hours of sunlight per day, shielded from the harshest around noon and until late afternoon. A location where it gets morning sun or afternoon sun should work well.
Water
This species is used to heavy precipitation, so it grows best when the soil is consistently moist. Water the soil when the first few inches dry out, as often as needed. However, don’t let this plant sit in soggy soil, or it could rot.
Soil
Patchouli grows best in soil that is fertile and moist but still drains well. Preferably, this herb should be placed in slightly acidic soil, but it will adapt to most soils as long as they drain properly.
In containers as annuals, a general potting mix should be fine. Make sure the potting mix drains properly and that the pot has a drainage hole. This herb may be used to a lot of tropical precipitation, but its roots won’t appreciate soggy soil.
Temperature and Humidity
Perennial in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, patchouli can tolerate temperatures that get down to about 40°F (4°C) in the winter and as hot as 115°F (46°C) in summer. The herb prefers humidity in the 60-75 percent range.
Native to tropical Southeast Asia, this species is no stranger to heat and humidity. These conditions are hard to mimic in most of the United States, but growers in zones colder than 7 can still easily grow it as an annual in summer.
If you’re on the cooler side of zone 10 or trying to push this species in zone 9, consider planting it in a pot so that you can bring it inside during the coldest weeks of winter.
Fertilizing
This plant is a little bit sensitive when it comes to fertilizer. When growing as an annual, feeding it is not necessary. As a perennial, you should fertilize lightly.
To do so, apply at a diluted rate every month. You may even want to just try fertilizing your patchouli once a year, in early spring, to see if that’s enough. These plants are vigorous growers. Before fertilizing, consider whether the plant was recently planted in a soil mix that already had nutrients or slow-release fertilizer pellets.
Maintenance
You may want to deadhead patchouli to prevent them from developing seeds and spreading. To do so, snip away spent flowers with sharp pruners. If you’re growing this plant as an annual in a zone where it isn’t hardy, there’s no need to worry about the seeds.
Pruning this plant has multiple benefits. Careful pruning can increase air circulation, which reduces the spread of plant pathogens. Pruning aesthetically can promote a bushy, rounded look. Lastly, frequently pruning the tips of this mint family member will result in more stems overall, which results in more harvestable leaves.
Propagation
As a member of the mint family, propagating patchouli could not be easier. You can take cuttings, or you can divide a large plant. Both methods are fast, though division will have you growing multiple specimens in the same day.
These methods of propagation are a fun and quick way to grow your plant collection or share plants with friends. If you intend to harvest the leaves for incense or potpourri, you’ll want plenty of patchouli.
Cuttings
You can propagate this plant by taking stem cuttings. Locate a healthy, robust stem and sever it just below a node. Prepare a small pot with moist but well-draining soil. Remove the leaves on the lower half of the cutting, and optionally, apply rooting hormone to the bottom nodes.
Place the cutting in the pot. If growing indoors, move it next to a bright, sunny window. Outside, place it in the same location where the healthy host plant is growing. Keep the soil a bit more moist during the next few days, while the cutting takes root.
Before long, you should have a new, young plant. Transplant it into the ground or into a large pot whenever it outgrows its smaller vessel.
Division
Division is also simple. First, either dig up the plant or remove it from its pot. Then, you can split the root ball into as many divisions as you want. You will probably be able to do this with your hands, but if the roots are very tightly bound, you can use a shovel or spade.
Make sure any divided portion you remove has its own root system. At this point, you can put the newly divided plants in the ground or in pots. Simply replant the original specimen as well. After planting or replanting, be sure to water thoroughly. Water more often over the next few days, too.
Popular Varieties
There are other regional tropical herbs from the same genus that are cultivated and harvested for their patchouli oils, including P. heyneanus and P. plectranthoides.
Pogostemon heyneanus
This is another species that is grown and harvested for its essential oils. It goes by multiple names, including Indian and Java patchouli. This plant matures to a larger size than P. cablin, producing branches that extend by four of five feet. It is grown mostly in India.
Pogostemon plectranthoides
Another herb grown for its essential oil, P. plectranthoides grows in the seasonally dry tropical biomes of India and Bangladesh. These regions are like rainforests, but they have dryer seasons that can last for six or more months. This species is not as thirsty as the other two.
Common Problems
Patchouli’s challenges are few. It’s rarely attacked by pests or diseases, besides root-knot nematodes and leaf blight. Though other mint plants are quite aggressive and will take over if planted in the ground, this tropical herb is not quite as vigorous.
Of course, if you’re growing it outside of its perennial range, it will be sensitive to cold and will not survive a frost. If you intend to grow it as an annual with this fact in mind, it won’t be a problem.
Pests
Luckily, this tropical herb doesn’t suffer often from pests when grown outside. One exception to this is root-knot nematodes, which can devastate these plants. Infected plants will exhibit slower growth, especially at the top, and they will begin to wilt.
Unfortunately, symptoms don’t appear until the nematodes have been hard at work for a long time. Plants usually die within a few months of symptoms. You can try controlling root-knot nematodes with nematicide, but it’s better off as a preventative treatment. Apply treatments ahead of the season in temperate weather. Do two treatments two weeks apart.
If you’ve struggled with root-knot nematodes in the past, apply nematicide preventatively before planting and then again one year later. Rotating crops may be best.
You can also try growing marigolds near your plants. Marigolds in the genus Tagetes produce alpha-terthienyl, a substance that repels root-knot nematodes, below the soil level. This is most effective when marigolds are grown at least one season ahead of the patchouli.
Diseases
Patchouli is typically disease-free, though it can suffer from leaf blight. Symptoms of leaf blight include brown spots on the leaves. The spots can be anywhere on the leaves, but they’re usually found at the center or around the edges. These spots may start smaller and get bigger with time.
As the spots enlarge and run into each other, the whole leaves basically crumble away. Leaf blight most often strikes after a plant is at least a year old.
Leaf blight is a fungal-borne disease, so you can prevent it by providing your plants with excellent air circulation. It’s also a good idea to prune away any infected portions of the plant, and always sanitize your tools right after to prevent further spread.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, this plant is fairly easy to grow and maintain, as long as you’re in the right environment. This herb withstands high heat and humidity, so it’s perennial in tropical areas. In other zones, it’s a simple annual that likes a moderate amount of light and water. Some even have success growing it as a houseplant.
P. cablin is truly a perennial that can live for up to 20 years, but that’s only the case in regions where it’s hardy. Most gardeners in the United States would have to grow this plant as an annual, though they may be able to keep it alive for some time as a houseplant.
The leaves of this plant are left to dry. Then, they go through a water-steam distillation process that results in the essential oils. While this may not be something you try at home, you can still gather the leaves, dry them, and use them in potpourri, smudge sticks, homemade incense, and sachets.
Yes, the tropical nature of this species makes it fairly well-suited to life as a houseplant. Place it in a location where it will get good light for a few hours of the day, and bright, indirect light for most of the day. Plant it in a pot with drainage holes, and don’t let the soil dry out completely.
Yes, P. cablin is edible, though it isn’t known for being particularly tasty. It is much more well-known for its fragrance.
