Getting Started

• Buy seedlings from a reputable nursery, if possible. If you have a neighbor with a healthy plant, take a stem cutting. Growing patchouli from slips of older plants is the most popular way to grow new plants. You may also start plants from seeds, provided you begin indoors.
  
  

Patchouli in Northern Climates

• In Michigan, patchouli plants must be treated as tender perennials. Either plant new patchouli seedlings each year for the outdoor garden as you would annual plants, or grow them in containers. Once the temperature reaches 65 degrees Fahrenheit or lower in the autumn, bring the containers indoors.
  
  

General Growing Tips

• In their native tropical gardens, patchouli plants thrive with some shade during the height of summer. In Michigan, however, it's best to establish the plants in the sunniest patch of garden available. Fertilize them regularly, and keep the soil moist.