Dr Paul Forster (Queensland Herbarium) notes (6 Feb 2017): "Plectranthus amboinicus originates from the old Transvaal in South Africa, but was traded early on by the Moors up through Zanzibar into southern Asia and ultimately the Moluccas. It was described from material collected on Ambon, hence the name. P. amboinicus is an adventive in a few spots in north Queensland, usually where people have camped repeatedly or where yachties come into get some land legs."