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🚚 Shipping Update:
We’re now shipping nationwide across the continental U.S. again! 🌱
📦 Please note: Shipping to California remains paused due to agricultural regulations.
🌿 African Potato Mint – 4" Pot – Groundcover & Nutrient-Rich Food Source (Plectranthus rotundifolius)
Small start, big rewards! Our 4-inch African Potato Mint is the perfect entry point for gardeners wanting to grow this rare edible perennial. Affordable, adaptable, and fast-spreading, this hardy groundcover produces delicious, potato-like tubers rich in nutrients. Whether you’re starting a food forest, filling in between fruit trees, or experimenting with container gardening, this little plant packs a big punch.
📦 Ships in a 4-inch container
🌿 Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Plectranthus rotundifolius |
| Plant Type | Edible perennial groundcover |
| Sale Size | 4-inch pot |
| Mature Height & Width | ~12” tall, spreading mat |
| USDA Zones | 9–11 |
| Sun Requirements | Full sun to partial shade |
| Cold Hardiness | Frost-tender; protect below 32°F |
| Growth Habit | Low, mat-forming, spreading |
| Spacing Requirements | 12–18” apart for full coverage |
🍠 Why Choose the 4" Size?
- Budget-Friendly Start – Get this rare edible crop at an affordable price.
- Easy to Transplant – Small pots mean less transplant shock for young gardeners and new growers.
- Fast-Spreading Growth – Once planted, the mat quickly fills in, creating a lush groundcover.
- Best for Regional Shipping – Ideal for Florida, the Southeast, and Texas. In cooler/drier regions, the larger 1-gallon size is recommended for better resilience.
🍽 Edible Tubers: Nutritious & Delicious
- Flavor & Texture: Mild, potato-like, tender, and slightly nutty.
- Cooking Methods: Roast, boil, fry, or mash — a versatile potato substitute.
- Cultural Significance: Known as Sava in Africa, a staple food with a long history of nourishing families.
- Harvest Season: Late summer to fall (Zones 9–11).
🌱 Seasonal Cycle & Dormancy: What to Expect
- Dormancy in Cooler Zones: In regions with winter cold, African Potato Mint goes dormant — leaves yellow, wither, or fully die back. This is natural and signals the plant is resting. Don’t panic if foliage disappears; new growth will return in spring.
- Spring Revival: Warmer temperatures and spring rains trigger new shoots to emerge from underground tubers.
- Tuber Dormancy: Harvested tubers typically undergo a 2–3 month rest period before sprouting again.
- Best Regions for Growth:
- Zones 10–11: Thrives year-round, minimal dormancy.
- Zone 9: Seasonal dormancy; protect with mulch or grow in containers for overwintering.
- Zones below 9: Grow in containers and bring indoors for winter survival.
🌾 Harvesting & Storage
- When to Harvest: Best harvested when foliage yellows and dies back, signaling the tubers are ready.
- How to Harvest: Gently lift soil to collect tubers. Leave some in the ground for perennial regrowth.
- Storage: Cure tubers briefly, then store in a cool, dry place. Not a long-term storage crop in warm/humid conditions.
- Pro Tip: In containers, continue light watering during dormancy to prevent tubers from shriveling.
✅ Best Practices for Planting & Care
- Where to Plant: Borders, orchard understory, rock gardens, or as erosion control.
- How to Plant: Bury tubers 2” deep; mulch around (not on) stems.
- Watering:
- In-Ground: Keep soil moist when young; once established, occasional deep watering is enough. During dormancy, little to no irrigation is required.
- Container: Soil dries faster — water lightly during dormancy to keep tubers hydrated.
- Fertilization: Thrives in compost-rich soil with organic matter.
- Winter Care: Protect with mulch in ground, or overwinter containers indoors.
🪴 Container Growing Tips
- Great size for patio or balcony gardeners.
- Use a deep, well-draining pot (2–3 gallons to start).
- Place in bright light, avoiding harsh afternoon sun.
- Maintain even soil moisture during active growth.
- During dormancy, reduce watering but don’t let tubers fully dry out.
🌱 Top Benefits & Uses
✅ Dual-purpose: edible + ornamental
✅ Low-maintenance groundcover to suppress weeds & prevent erosion
✅ Nutrient-rich food source packed with minerals & vitamins
✅ Cultural & medicinal heritage valued for centuries
✅ Excellent companion plant under fruit trees or along borders
⚠️ Cautions
- Frost Sensitive: Protect below 32°F.
- Avoid Soggy Soil: Overwatering can cause root rot.
🌟 Is This Plant Right for You?
✅ Ideal for:
- Gardeners in Florida, the Southeast, and Texas (USDA Growing Zones 9-11)
- Food forest & permaculture projects needing affordable starter plants
- Beginners wanting to try a new edible groundcover
❌ Not Ideal for:
- Cold climates without greenhouse/indoor protection
- Gardeners who want an immediate, large harvest (choose the 1-gallon size instead)
Fun Fact
African Potato Mint belongs to the mint family — you can tell by its square stems and creeping growth habit. Just like mint, it propagates easily, symbolizing abundance and generosity.
Give your garden a unique and affordable start with the 4-inch African Potato Mint 🌿🍠.
Perfect for beginners and small spaces, this hardy edible groundcover will spread, thrive, and reward you with nutritious tubers.
Order today and watch your living pantry grow!
📍 Local Pickup
Available for Local Pickup at GreenDreams!
18709 US Hwy. 41, Spring Hill, FL 34610
Open Tues–Fri 9AM–5PM | Sat 8AM–3PM 🌿
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE PURCHASING LIVE PLANTS:
*Please be advised that our online store selections are NOT available for pickup at our retail location in Spring Hill, Florida.
Inventory for our online store is located at a separate facility and are priced and handled exclusively for packaging & shipping.
Click here to learn more about our Spring Hill, FL retail nursery location, including countless more nursery selections ready for pickup - larger sizes and wider variety of plants not suitable for nationwide delivery.
1. Shipping Stress: Transportation can be stressful for plants, particularly when they spend several days in a confined, dark environment. It’s common for plants to experience leaf drop during this period. Rest assured, most plants typically recover quickly and thrive with minimal aftercare. However, some may need extra attention, love, and care, requiring appropriate watering and exposure to gentle light post-unboxing.
2. Potential Physical Damage: Despite our dedicated efforts to ensure that your plants are securely packaged, they may incur damage during shipping and handling by UPS. Rest assured, our shipping team is committed to packing your selections with utmost care and precision to minimize any potential harm.
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For significant box damage, please reach out to UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
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For minor damages, such as a broken branch or stem, we advise allowing the plant time to recover and regenerate with proper care and attention.
3. Long-Distance Shipping Considerations: Orders shipped over long distances, particularly to the western US, may take 3 - 5 business days to arrive due to various factors, including agricultural inspections in Arizona, California, and Texas. Such extended transit times can be particularly challenging for tender, young plants, affecting their quality due to prolonged confinement.
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We take additional measures during packaging to facilitate a swift recovery of the plants upon unboxing.
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Initial extra care and attention might be required over the first few weeks post-transport.
For further guidance, kindly review our detailed policies on returns and refunds, as well as our comprehensive plant care guide. We appreciate your understanding and patience in nurturing your new plants.
🌿 Important Shipping Information
Please take a moment to review our shipping protocols designed to ensure your plants arrive in optimal condition.
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Countdown Clock: At the top of our online store, you'll notice a countdown clock. This tool helps communicate our weekly shipping schedule, providing clarity on when you can expect your orders to be dispatched.
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Shipping Schedule: Our nursery, located in the heart of Central Florida, ships orders once weekly, every Monday. This is a strategic decision to prevent packages from being stationary over the weekends, ensuring that our plants travel as swiftly as possible across the country, even reaching as far as California.
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Shipping Method: At present, we offer ground shipping rates to meet various needs while maintaining the well-being of our plants during transit.
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Our Dedicated Team: We are a boutique nursery with a passionate team. Our members wear many hats, contributing to shipping, nursery operations, and engaging in valuable local projects. As we blossom and expand, rest assured that enhancing and streamlining our processes remains a priority to serve you better
Terms and Conditions for Purchasing Live Plants
1. Understanding of Shipping Stress
By purchasing live plants from our store, the customer acknowledges that transportation can be stressful for plants. It is common for plants to undergo leaf drop or experience other temporary issues during shipping. However, it is understood that most plants recover quickly with adequate care and attention post-shipping.
2. Awareness of Potential Physical Damage
Customers acknowledge that despite our best efforts in packaging, there may be occurrences of damage during shipping and handling. For substantial damages to the package, customers agree to contact UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
3. Acknowledgement of Long-Distance Shipping Considerations
Customers recognize that shipments, especially those directed to the western US, may be subjected to longer shipping durations of 3-5 business days. Customers agree to provide necessary care to the plants, recognizing that the quality of the plants may be affected due to prolonged shipping times.
4. Agreement with Shipping Information and Schedule
Customers, by making a purchase, have reviewed and agreed upon our shipping protocols and schedules. They acknowledge the presence of a countdown clock on the website and our once-weekly shipping policy every Monday, recognizing the rationale behind avoiding weekend layovers for the plants.
5.Extreme Weather Conditions
Customers acknowledge that our store is not responsible for damage or loss of live plants due to extreme weather conditions during transit and delivery. This includes exposure to cold or freezing temperatures during the winter months and extreme heat during the summer. We provide tracking information when orders are processed every Monday to ensure customers are aware of the delivery schedule. It is the customer's responsibility to prevent packages from being left outside in conditions that may cause damage. Our store does not accept responsibility for any adverse effects caused by weather conditions beyond our control.
6. No Refund Policy
Customers agree that refunds are only processed under exceptional circumstances. Our store will not be held responsible for poor plant choices relative to location suitability, extreme conditions during and/or post-shipment, and improper post-purchase plant care.
7. Responsibility of Care
Upon purchase, customers agree to assume full responsibility for the ongoing care of the plants. This includes, but is not limited to, appropriate watering, exposure to suitable light, and adherence to specific care instructions pertinent to each plant type.
8. Consent
By proceeding with this purchase, customers consent to all the terms and conditions stated above, confirming understanding and agreement to all stipulations mentioned.
These terms and conditions aim to ensure clarity, mutual understanding, and agreement between the seller and the customer to facilitate a smooth transaction and foster a positive customer experience.
