Silver cat's whiskers Plant Care

Silver cat's whiskers (Orthosiphon argenteus) belongs to the Lamiaceae family within the Orthosiphon genus. Silver cat's whiskers is native to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia. Silver cat's whiskers is also known as Orthosiphon stamineus.

Silver cat's whiskers displays an upright, bushy shrub growth habit, reaching up to 3 ft tall with a spread of approximately 2 ft. Silver cat's whiskers produces small tubular flowers in shades of white, purple, or pink.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Silver cat's whiskers every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Silver cat's whiskers thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Orthosiphon argenteus tolerates temperatures of 60–80°F. Silver cat's whiskers prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Well-draining, sandy loam with added organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Silver cat's whiskers to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Silver cat's whiskers every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, sandy loam with added organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Silver cat's whiskers is suited to USDA Zone 9a – 11b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Silver cat's whiskers can spread to about 2 ft (0.6 m) and reach about 3 ft (1 m) tall. Space plants about 2 ft (0.6 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Silver cat's whiskers while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Silver cat's whiskers is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 9). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Silver cat's whiskers can be propagated through seeds, stem cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to cat's whiskers plant care, which shares the same genus.

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Silver cat's whiskers is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, whiteflies. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Silver cat's whiskers grows outdoors in USDA Zone 9a – 11b. It survives winters down to planting zone 9a. Silver cat's whiskers is native to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia. In cooler regions, grow Silver cat's whiskers as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.